And we're back! The atmospheric distubances have passed and Ketina and I, along with Cz, have gathered to watch what might be the most important episode of Doctor Who in its history. But enough of looking ahead, let's get on to the summary!
Episode Summary: First aired 21 December, 1963. The TARDIS crew, having not seen the malfunctioning radiation counter, explore the new planet they've landed upon. They find that they've landed in the middle of what appears to be a petrified forest on a dead planet. After exploring the forest (including the discovery of a strange metallic creature), the crew sees what looks to be an intact futuristic city in the distance. The Doctor wants to explore, but the rest wish to leave. They compromise, heading back to the TARDIS as night is falling. On the way back, Susan falls behind, but feels someone touch her on the shoulder, screams and runs. (Remember, it seems to be a dead planet, right?) In the TARDIS, we see how they eat and effects of the rad poisoning start appearing (though no one seems to realize this). Ian, Barbara and Susan demand to leave, but the Doctor subtly sabotages the ship, saying that they need to go to the city to find more mercury for a component. The next morning, they discover someone (Susan's stranger?) has left a container of vials outside the ship. The crew makes their way to the city where they split up to find some mercury. Barbara appears to be herded, with doors closing behind her. After descending in a lift, she is confronted by some kind of creature. All we can see, as she backs down the corridor screaming, is an appendage with some kind of sucker attachment, menacing her....
So! One of the things I found interesting about this right away is the contrast with the previous story which also had a lot of moving through a jungle. There, though, it was a lush, verdant jungle which the crew had to rush through, generally speaking. In this case, we have a truly alien jungle, pertrified and dead, and the crew make their way slowly, exploring. In fact, the feeling of menace grows as the ambient sound of the jungle, not quite silence, not quite sound, also builds, until suddenly, we see a person's hand appears. Like Susan, we jump! (Though I didn't scream and run.) Similarly, the city, with its weird, mechanical sound (love the sound design!), is empty, silent and dead...until suddenly a creature appears! Just wonderful.
As with the first episode, it's entirely up to the four regulars to carry the show. For the most part, I think they handle it well; we do get a "Billy-fluff" or two ("Chesterfield"?) and William Russell might seem a little forced, but everyone generally works very well. And we do get a distinct indication of Ian's growing feelings for Barbara--when she screams, he literally drops what he's doing!
The writing, by Terry Nation, again, builds tension well, even with the TARDIS interlude in the middle, which might be considered padding a bit. (I enjoyed it, but did we really need the bacon and eggs food bar bit? Definitely the 1963 "vision of the future" kind of thing.) And I want to take a moment to give thanks to designer Ray Cusack who has done a tremendous job both with the forest and, especially, with the city which looks marvelous, both as a model and as a set. And, of course, next week we'll see his most famous design...
A strong start, I'd say, to what looks to be a strong story! I'm sure I could say more, but let's see what Ketina has to say, shall we? As for me, until next week I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Ketina here, with my silly feedback.
The good - it was neat to see some explanations for how things work in the TARDIS. I like the way we get to see how they get food and eat, and they discuss things like cleaning up and sleeping are discussed, which implies that there are some kind of bathrooms and sleeping areas on the ship somewhere. So I think that was cool. I also liked the visuals for the forest and city - very alien looking and creapy. I'm also still loving the ambient music. I'm pretty sure it's the same music, or at least incredibly similar to the music used later for the same planet.
Also liked the effect of the elevator - with a simple light change and camera shake they did a great job at showing Barbara travelled in an elevator. More modern stuff you'd likely get dialog commenting on it instead.
And I like the subtle effect of the radiation effect on the group. They look much more tried after walking to the city than they should have, as well as barbara's headache and general acting from everyone set up the mood that radiation bad.
The bad - really obvious matte paintings for creating the illusion that the hallways were super long. The painting themselves wheren't that badly done, but the framing of the matte paintings made it look pretty obvious that they were paintings. Looked more like a mural on the wall then a big long hallway.
The jumpiness of the female companions continues to bother me. I get that they're scared, but I guess feminist in me felt like it went overboard with panicking women: Susan's apprehension when she felt like she was being watched went a little overboard to me, and then later Barbara's anxiety attack when running through the city bugged me.
The pace - slooowww.. Yeah, I'm disagreeing with the Historian here, but nothing happened until the last 20 seconds of the episode. Okay, a lot happened, but there was no action. I like character development, but not when it consists of 24 minutes of a 25 minute episode. :S
The awesome - the final, classic moment on Barbara's face as the something appears.
-Ketina
NEXT WEEK: "THE SURVIVORS"
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
And incidentally...
...A Happy Christmas to all of you at home from the Doctor and all of us here at the TARDIS Project!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Weather Delay
Hello everyone, the Historian here. I felt that I should let those few, those valiant few who are following the progress of the Project know that it looks like our viewing of "The Dead Planet" will be delayed by a few days at the very least. Here at TARDIS Project central, we are in the middle of a series of winter storms that are limiting (among other things) travel, and thus Ketina and I have been unable to meet to view the episode. We have hopes to do so, if not before Christmas, then hopefully shortly after. I apologize for the delay, but even the Doctor can sometimes be at the mercy of atmospheric disturbances, now, can't he?
Hopefully, we shall resume the Project soon, but until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Hopefully, we shall resume the Project soon, but until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Saturday, December 13, 2008
100,000 BC wrapup
The Historian here. As we end each story, I think I'll try to include a few links that talk about the production and such. In the future, I'll try to get Ketina (and whoever else is interested) to engage in a discussion of the story as a whole and how we think it helped to develop the series from our perspective. Obviously, that's a little difficult when discussing the first story, though I think we did an all right job in the episode posts themselves. As always, if you'd like to engage more, please feel free to comment and we'll do our best to keep the conversation going.
As far as production details go, it's hard to do better than Shannon Sullivan's "Brief History of Time (Travel)" page. His page detailing the pre-production and all work on "100,000 BC" is here; among other things, it answers Ketina's question regarding the switch from video to film for the fight between Kal and Za. The BBC "Classic" episode guide page for the story, if you are so inclined, is also here.
Last night, to celebrate the completion of our first story, I also brought a little treat with me. A few years ago, the idea of animating lost Doctor Who stories (for which fan-taped soundtracks exist) came into fan consciousness, thanks in no small part to the professional release of the DVD of the sixth season story, "The Invasion." Since then, a fan named Garrett Gilchrist, with a few friends, has begin to animate selected scenes, using his own "WhoSprites." He recently put the currently completed scenes together, with some commentary, into a 19 minute video. Links to the individual videos (as well as a link to download the whole presentation) can be found here. WhoSprites is definitely still a work in progress, but it's wonderful to see how much smoother the process has been getting, and how much longer the scenes to be animated are. Anyway, everyone was very impressed and we can't wait to see what Garrett and his crew come up with next! Very highly recommended!
At any rate, that just about wraps it up for "100,000 BC," barring any further discussions folks would like to begin in the comments! If I haven't said it before, thanks to all of you for reading and taking this journey with us. See you next time, and until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
As far as production details go, it's hard to do better than Shannon Sullivan's "Brief History of Time (Travel)" page. His page detailing the pre-production and all work on "100,000 BC" is here; among other things, it answers Ketina's question regarding the switch from video to film for the fight between Kal and Za. The BBC "Classic" episode guide page for the story, if you are so inclined, is also here.
Last night, to celebrate the completion of our first story, I also brought a little treat with me. A few years ago, the idea of animating lost Doctor Who stories (for which fan-taped soundtracks exist) came into fan consciousness, thanks in no small part to the professional release of the DVD of the sixth season story, "The Invasion." Since then, a fan named Garrett Gilchrist, with a few friends, has begin to animate selected scenes, using his own "WhoSprites." He recently put the currently completed scenes together, with some commentary, into a 19 minute video. Links to the individual videos (as well as a link to download the whole presentation) can be found here. WhoSprites is definitely still a work in progress, but it's wonderful to see how much smoother the process has been getting, and how much longer the scenes to be animated are. Anyway, everyone was very impressed and we can't wait to see what Garrett and his crew come up with next! Very highly recommended!
At any rate, that just about wraps it up for "100,000 BC," barring any further discussions folks would like to begin in the comments! If I haven't said it before, thanks to all of you for reading and taking this journey with us. See you next time, and until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
"The Firemaker"
And here we are at the last episode of "100,000 BC," the first Doctor Who serial. Tonight, Ketina and I were joined by the ever-present Ronelyn, Kroroboros, Spoo and SumGuy. Full house!
Summary: First aired 13 December, 1963. The TARDIS crew are taken back to the Tribe's cave where the Doctor cleverly managed to get Kal to admit to killing the old woman. The Tribe, led by the Doctor, then drives Kal out. Za, however, sends the crew back to the Cave of Skulls. Inside the cave, Ian makes fire! Za discovers them and demands they give him fire, which they do, expecting he will then let them return to the TARDIS. [Edit: I neglected to mention Kal killing the guard and entering the cave, leading to a brutal fight which Za wins.] In this they are mistaken, but Susan and Ian come up with a plan. Using skulls from the cave and torches, they scare the Tribe and, essentially, run away, making it back to the TARDIS just in time. Taking off, the Doctor explains that he hadn't been able to get any samples to figure out where and when they were, so he doesn't know where they're going. The crew lands and goes to clean up, not noticing the radiation monitor slowly moving into the red danger zone....
A strong finish to what I thought was a strong opening story, firmly establishing both the premise and the central characters. Opinions were somewhat divided, however, with Spoo feeling this was less of a real "story" and more of a "moment in time." (Spoo, please expand in a comment, if you want to!) The episode began with a fine showcase for the Doctor's cleverness; he plays Kal like a fiddle. Ian also shows his worth (Ronelyn remaked on Ian's fine Boy Scout skills!), both in his firemaking and his comment to Za about the Tribe being stronger that a single member--a lesson Za remembers, but seems to misunderstand, as he goes out to hunt alone. Susan had her moment, helping Ian come up with the plan to free the crew; this week it was Barbara's turn to be underused.
Which brings me to one of Kroroboros' excellent points. Being familiar with later Doctors, he was surprised that the Doctor was not the center of the action. And it's true, the series, in its first few seasons, was very much an ensemble piece, with the Doctor being only a part of the crew. (Though he will shortly become the linchpin around which the various companions operate.) At this point, though, Ian is far more of a dynamic presence, though the Doctor might be more of a clever one!
All in all, the first historical (for all intents and purposes) succeeds quite nicely; the guest cast is excellent, as is the design (both set and costume) and especially the writing. The regulars are strong too, with well-developed characters. It might be a bit of a slow start, but the absolute right turn into science fiction next week will take the show in an unexpected direction!
Until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Ketina here,
Here's my brief observations of the episode:
Good - Fight choreography was pretty good. Kal and Za beat the crap out of each other very savagely. It was brutal. However, a bit odd as they switched to film instead of video for only that scene, which was very noticable. Also the cave of skulls looked significantly larger than the cave did in any other scene.
Silly - close ups of The Doctor's companions as they ran through the forest. Just faces with occational sticks thrown at them. Very silly.
Curious - the ending bothered me somewhat. The Doctor and companions trick the cavemen and escape and run back to the Tardis. And that was it. It didn't feel to me like there was a solid resolution to the story, While the cavemen finally got their fire, there wasn't any character resolution for the cavemen. Za became leader, but didn't seem to learn anything or establish himself as a stronger or better leader than before. I found it odd that there were no moral lessons for a show that is reportedly a family show. Maybe that's just more common in American family shows?
I'd say more, but I'm currently watching the gang we just watched the show with devolve into comedic mehem involving the central stars of our next story. More later, hopefully.
-Ketina
NEXT WEEK: "THE DEAD PLANET"
Summary: First aired 13 December, 1963. The TARDIS crew are taken back to the Tribe's cave where the Doctor cleverly managed to get Kal to admit to killing the old woman. The Tribe, led by the Doctor, then drives Kal out. Za, however, sends the crew back to the Cave of Skulls. Inside the cave, Ian makes fire! Za discovers them and demands they give him fire, which they do, expecting he will then let them return to the TARDIS. [Edit: I neglected to mention Kal killing the guard and entering the cave, leading to a brutal fight which Za wins.] In this they are mistaken, but Susan and Ian come up with a plan. Using skulls from the cave and torches, they scare the Tribe and, essentially, run away, making it back to the TARDIS just in time. Taking off, the Doctor explains that he hadn't been able to get any samples to figure out where and when they were, so he doesn't know where they're going. The crew lands and goes to clean up, not noticing the radiation monitor slowly moving into the red danger zone....
A strong finish to what I thought was a strong opening story, firmly establishing both the premise and the central characters. Opinions were somewhat divided, however, with Spoo feeling this was less of a real "story" and more of a "moment in time." (Spoo, please expand in a comment, if you want to!) The episode began with a fine showcase for the Doctor's cleverness; he plays Kal like a fiddle. Ian also shows his worth (Ronelyn remaked on Ian's fine Boy Scout skills!), both in his firemaking and his comment to Za about the Tribe being stronger that a single member--a lesson Za remembers, but seems to misunderstand, as he goes out to hunt alone. Susan had her moment, helping Ian come up with the plan to free the crew; this week it was Barbara's turn to be underused.
Which brings me to one of Kroroboros' excellent points. Being familiar with later Doctors, he was surprised that the Doctor was not the center of the action. And it's true, the series, in its first few seasons, was very much an ensemble piece, with the Doctor being only a part of the crew. (Though he will shortly become the linchpin around which the various companions operate.) At this point, though, Ian is far more of a dynamic presence, though the Doctor might be more of a clever one!
All in all, the first historical (for all intents and purposes) succeeds quite nicely; the guest cast is excellent, as is the design (both set and costume) and especially the writing. The regulars are strong too, with well-developed characters. It might be a bit of a slow start, but the absolute right turn into science fiction next week will take the show in an unexpected direction!
Until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Ketina here,
Here's my brief observations of the episode:
Good - Fight choreography was pretty good. Kal and Za beat the crap out of each other very savagely. It was brutal. However, a bit odd as they switched to film instead of video for only that scene, which was very noticable. Also the cave of skulls looked significantly larger than the cave did in any other scene.
Silly - close ups of The Doctor's companions as they ran through the forest. Just faces with occational sticks thrown at them. Very silly.
Curious - the ending bothered me somewhat. The Doctor and companions trick the cavemen and escape and run back to the Tardis. And that was it. It didn't feel to me like there was a solid resolution to the story, While the cavemen finally got their fire, there wasn't any character resolution for the cavemen. Za became leader, but didn't seem to learn anything or establish himself as a stronger or better leader than before. I found it odd that there were no moral lessons for a show that is reportedly a family show. Maybe that's just more common in American family shows?
I'd say more, but I'm currently watching the gang we just watched the show with devolve into comedic mehem involving the central stars of our next story. More later, hopefully.
-Ketina
NEXT WEEK: "THE DEAD PLANET"
Friday, December 5, 2008
"The Forest of Fear"
Yes, we're a bit early this week, but let's look at it as a benefit, shall we? The Historian here, with a review of the third episode of the series. This week, Ketina and I were joined by Ronelyn, Blueraccoon and Krorboros. Let's get to the summary, shall we?
Summary: Originally aired 6 December, 1963. Quite a lot actually happened in this episode. The TARDIS crew is released from the Cave of Skulls by the Old Woman, who tells them they must leave so as not to return the secret of fire to the Tribe. Za and Hur discover this and go after them, but Za is attacked by a creature. Against the Doctor's wishes, the crew attempt to help him, which confuses Hur completely. Meanwhile, Kal has discovered the Old Woman in the Cave and finds out where Za and the TARDIS crew has gone. He then kills the Old Woman. Afterwards, he convinces the Tribe that Za killed the Old Woman and they follow him as the new leader. Arriving at the TARDIS, finally, the crew and Za (on a stretcher) and Hur are ambushed by Kal and the Tribe.
Goodness, there's a lot to say about this episode. We discussed it more than almost any other. Although all Blueraccoon really had to say was, "I wasn't really paying attention. There was a lot of screaming and it got on my nerves." It's true, there was quite a bit, especially from Barbara. On the other hand, think about what kind of day she's had--from 1963 London to 100,000 BC! Ronelyn was, once again, impressed with the atmosphere, comparing it to other British productions of the era. I very much agree; although some may find the pace slow (see Ketina's section), I found that the episode built, ratcheting up the tension as the TARDIS crew attempted to escape, culminating in the ambush with the ship almost within reach. I will say that I was right in that watching this episode-by-episode is a very different experience than seeing it as an hour and a half "movie."
I'd like to take a moment to mention the design, which is quite excellent. The sets, from the jungle to the Cave of Skulls, is just fantastic and, within the obvious limits of the tiny studio confines, quite believable. The costumes are simple, but effective as well.
As far as guest characters, the shining stars are Hur and Kal, the two "smart" cavemen. Kal's scene where he essentially frames Za for murder is especially good, and Hur shows reasoning and actual political savvy!
The regulars are also quite good, though I felt Ian occasionally went a bit over the top. Barbara's hysterics were, as I said above, understandable. This was the first episode where Susan felt mostly underused. And the Doctor...I've read a theory that before Ian and Barbara, the Doctor had held himself aloof from humanity and it was his connection with them that began his evolution into a caring hero. This episode certainly gives that theory a firm basis; although he expresses contrition for kidnapping the teachers and getting them into the situation (a holdover from last week's episode), he is also snappish, mean and uncaring...and, indeed, at least momentarily murderous, before he is stopped by Ian. (Or was he? Was he telling the truth about having Za draw a map to the ship?) It's a very nuanced performance by William Hartnell (still stunning) and, knowing where it's going as I do, I'm going to really enjoy seeing the development of the Doctor's character as the weeks go by.
As usual, I am sure I have all kinds of other things to say, but I think it is time to turn this over to my erstwhile companion. However, I encourage all of you (yes, even you, Ronelyn, if you want to expand on what I said above) to comment with your thoughts, questions, suggestions. I don't think we're writing in a complete vacuum...I hope?
So, until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
---
Ketina here.
Good bits - I thought that Hur (the cave lady from last week, who got a name this week) once more showed some savvy. She spends the beginning of the episode observing the old woman and suggesting to Za what to do. One of her best lines "the leader is awake while the other's sleep" as a way of starting to explain why Za should be investigating things while the other cave men are sleeping. Later, while Za is concerned about why Hur didn't stop the old woman, Hur was more interested in knowing what the old woman was up to.
I also thought the sets were fairly good. At one point they show a close up of a dead boar that The Doctor and his companions discover (putting Barbara into those annoying hysterics), And even the first shot of the episode, when they show a nearly full skeleton in the cave of skulls I thought was pretty creapy.
The not so good bits -- Again, I think the pace is rather slow. They spent the bulk of the episode running through the forest, half of which consisted of The Doctor and ian arguing, running around in circles and lots of screaming. Did we mention the annoying screaming yet. And long discussion on how to put together and putting together the makeshift stretcher.
The silly -- the scene showing the cave man tribe all piled up in a heap in the middle of their cave. There were a few snickers among us watching regarding the groping potential of cave men heaps.
Also, the back door out of the cave discovered by the old woman the was obviously just covered up by some branches.
Can't think of anything else interesting at the moment. So that's all from me for now.
-Ketina
(A quick note from the Historian: I didn't think the Tribe sleeping together for warmth against the oncoming cold was silly....)
NEXT WEEK: "THE FIREMAKER"
Summary: Originally aired 6 December, 1963. Quite a lot actually happened in this episode. The TARDIS crew is released from the Cave of Skulls by the Old Woman, who tells them they must leave so as not to return the secret of fire to the Tribe. Za and Hur discover this and go after them, but Za is attacked by a creature. Against the Doctor's wishes, the crew attempt to help him, which confuses Hur completely. Meanwhile, Kal has discovered the Old Woman in the Cave and finds out where Za and the TARDIS crew has gone. He then kills the Old Woman. Afterwards, he convinces the Tribe that Za killed the Old Woman and they follow him as the new leader. Arriving at the TARDIS, finally, the crew and Za (on a stretcher) and Hur are ambushed by Kal and the Tribe.
Goodness, there's a lot to say about this episode. We discussed it more than almost any other. Although all Blueraccoon really had to say was, "I wasn't really paying attention. There was a lot of screaming and it got on my nerves." It's true, there was quite a bit, especially from Barbara. On the other hand, think about what kind of day she's had--from 1963 London to 100,000 BC! Ronelyn was, once again, impressed with the atmosphere, comparing it to other British productions of the era. I very much agree; although some may find the pace slow (see Ketina's section), I found that the episode built, ratcheting up the tension as the TARDIS crew attempted to escape, culminating in the ambush with the ship almost within reach. I will say that I was right in that watching this episode-by-episode is a very different experience than seeing it as an hour and a half "movie."
I'd like to take a moment to mention the design, which is quite excellent. The sets, from the jungle to the Cave of Skulls, is just fantastic and, within the obvious limits of the tiny studio confines, quite believable. The costumes are simple, but effective as well.
As far as guest characters, the shining stars are Hur and Kal, the two "smart" cavemen. Kal's scene where he essentially frames Za for murder is especially good, and Hur shows reasoning and actual political savvy!
The regulars are also quite good, though I felt Ian occasionally went a bit over the top. Barbara's hysterics were, as I said above, understandable. This was the first episode where Susan felt mostly underused. And the Doctor...I've read a theory that before Ian and Barbara, the Doctor had held himself aloof from humanity and it was his connection with them that began his evolution into a caring hero. This episode certainly gives that theory a firm basis; although he expresses contrition for kidnapping the teachers and getting them into the situation (a holdover from last week's episode), he is also snappish, mean and uncaring...and, indeed, at least momentarily murderous, before he is stopped by Ian. (Or was he? Was he telling the truth about having Za draw a map to the ship?) It's a very nuanced performance by William Hartnell (still stunning) and, knowing where it's going as I do, I'm going to really enjoy seeing the development of the Doctor's character as the weeks go by.
As usual, I am sure I have all kinds of other things to say, but I think it is time to turn this over to my erstwhile companion. However, I encourage all of you (yes, even you, Ronelyn, if you want to expand on what I said above) to comment with your thoughts, questions, suggestions. I don't think we're writing in a complete vacuum...I hope?
So, until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
---
Ketina here.
Good bits - I thought that Hur (the cave lady from last week, who got a name this week) once more showed some savvy. She spends the beginning of the episode observing the old woman and suggesting to Za what to do. One of her best lines "the leader is awake while the other's sleep" as a way of starting to explain why Za should be investigating things while the other cave men are sleeping. Later, while Za is concerned about why Hur didn't stop the old woman, Hur was more interested in knowing what the old woman was up to.
I also thought the sets were fairly good. At one point they show a close up of a dead boar that The Doctor and his companions discover (putting Barbara into those annoying hysterics), And even the first shot of the episode, when they show a nearly full skeleton in the cave of skulls I thought was pretty creapy.
The not so good bits -- Again, I think the pace is rather slow. They spent the bulk of the episode running through the forest, half of which consisted of The Doctor and ian arguing, running around in circles and lots of screaming. Did we mention the annoying screaming yet. And long discussion on how to put together and putting together the makeshift stretcher.
The silly -- the scene showing the cave man tribe all piled up in a heap in the middle of their cave. There were a few snickers among us watching regarding the groping potential of cave men heaps.
Also, the back door out of the cave discovered by the old woman the was obviously just covered up by some branches.
Can't think of anything else interesting at the moment. So that's all from me for now.
-Ketina
(A quick note from the Historian: I didn't think the Tribe sleeping together for warmth against the oncoming cold was silly....)
NEXT WEEK: "THE FIREMAKER"
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Clarification to the broadcast dates of "An Unearthly Child"
In my "Cave of Skulls" post, I mentioned that (due to both the Kennedy assassination the day before and a widespread power outage on 23 November, the day it first aired) "AUC" was reshown on 30 November. It had been my understanding that this caused a delay in transmission of the second episode, but my research for last night's review claimed that "The Cave of Skulls" was also first aired on 30 November. My curiosity was piqued; was the "repeat transmission" story just old fannish myth? So I did a bit of checking and discovered both stories were correct. The first episode was repeated on 30 November...with the second episode immediately following! It's not clear to me whether "An Unearthly Child" was shown at an earlier time with the second episode in the regular timeslot or whether "Cave of Skulls" was aired quite late, but...I think I'm going to let that one go.
While I have all five of you who read this blog here, I do have a question. Ketina and I would find some feedback about our episode postings very informative. What do you like about them? What don't you like? Would you like to see more information about the production or the story? Would you like a different format? (My section is a bit more free-flow than I'd like right now, so I'd certainly appreciate any ideas you have.) Do you like that we seperate our sections or should we integrate things more? Essentially, what do you like or dislike and what might you like to see? I await any comments with baited breath. Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
While I have all five of you who read this blog here, I do have a question. Ketina and I would find some feedback about our episode postings very informative. What do you like about them? What don't you like? Would you like to see more information about the production or the story? Would you like a different format? (My section is a bit more free-flow than I'd like right now, so I'd certainly appreciate any ideas you have.) Do you like that we seperate our sections or should we integrate things more? Essentially, what do you like or dislike and what might you like to see? I await any comments with baited breath. Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Saturday, November 29, 2008
"The Cave of Skulls"
The Historian here. I'll note that if we were being absolutely accurate, we would be skipping a week as the BBC reran the initial episode the week after it aired. (For some reason, people weren't tuning in the day after JFK's assassination...) But, getting down to it...
Synopsis: Originally shown on 30 November, 1963. The TARDIS lands in Ice Age era Europe, where a tribe is having a disagreement over leadership. Za's father made fire, but he cannot. Kal, an interloper, claims to be able to make fire. Kal discovers the Doctor (who's left the ship to explore) smoking and kidnaps him. Ian (who's gobsmacked about not being in a London junkyard anymore), Barbara and Susan attempt to rescue him, but they're all captured and thrown into the titular Cave of Skulls--and Za declares they will be executed at the next sunrise!
Ketina, Ronelyn, Blueraccoon and I watched the episode together. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the performance by the regulars. William Russell (as Ian) was particularly good at conveying his absolute disbelief, even when confronted by the evidence of his own eyes. William Hartnell continues to amaze; he's just so darn good at both the mischievious mystery and the honesty he shows towards the end of the episode. All of the actors show a depth, with the possible exception of Jacqueline Hill, who isn't given very much to do (although her belief in spite of everything is excellent). Susan's absolute desperation at losing her only link with her home in the Doctor is really effectively played by Carole Ann Ford. The writing is just top notch, although Ketina has some issues that I suppose she'll talk about in her post.
Something I missed in last week's chaos, but that I'd very much like to keep track of, is how the show developed elements that we'll see more of later. Last week, for example, we had the introduction of the TARDIS (which Susan claims to have named from the description "Time and Relative Dimension in Space"--note the singular for Dimension) as well as our first description of the Doctor and Susan's homeworld. Susan was "born in another place, another time," and the Doctor asks Ian and Barbara if they know what it's like to be exiles. Interestingly, the implication seems to be that they can't get home for some reason (there was an early idea that their home planet had been destroyed, but it wound up not being taken up), rather than the Doctor being on the run for stealing a time machine.
This week, in addition to our first travel in time, we're shown that the TARDIS might not be entirely functional. Some gagues don't seem to work properly and the outer shell, which has apparently changed to blend in in the past (Susan's descriptions imply some interesting trips) is no longer functioning--it's stuck as a 1963 era police box!
In all, this was an good episode, keeping the interest generated by the first one up nicely. Although there are a few parts that might not work completely to modern eyes (see Ketina's post for her thoughts), for a 1963 audience I can see it as, well, perhaps not riveting, but certainly diverting for the family at tea time. We're still a few weeks away from The Moment Doctor Who Became a National Phenomenon, but the ratings were decent, and this serial certainly shows us the original educational plan for the series--back in time, then science fiction, alternating. I suppose one can wonder though if the second story (to come in a few weeks!) hadn't changed everything and become the blueprint for much of the series, how things would have gone.... But now, I shall turn things over to my companion, Ketina. Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Just finished watching the second episode of Doctor Who with The Historian, The Cave of Skulls (part two of the eventually titled 100,000 Years B.C.). Please read the Historian's summary first.
My reactions:
Silly bits -- the gob smacked cave man Kal, as he stared at the Tardis shortly after it landed.
Boring bits (in my opinion) -- The lengthy debate between Za and Kal regarding what to do with the strange old man who could make fire from his fingers. They each made their point, which seemed long enough to me, and then proceeded to make pretty much the exact same points again two more times. If I had to watch Kal wiggle his fingers again "he made smoke come out of his fingers" I was going to hit the fast forward button. But then, we would have missed the ENTIRE episode. They didn't even get to the proverbial Cave of Skulls until the very end of the episode.
Irritating bits - Susan is quite the screamer, isn't she? Quite feisty however!
Weird bits - the fight scenes seemed very disjointed to me. Lots of close ups, hands and feet and bits, making it very difficult to see what was going on. While Susan joining the fight was evident, both by her screams and when we see her jump onto a caveman's back, it wasn't clear to me that Ian and Barbara were in the fight until the end when we see they have been captured. It reminded me a lot of the type of confusing and frustrating fight choreography found in current films.
Good bits -- as long as the scenes went, the acting was quite good. I also loved the characters of the cave lady who wanted to be given to Kal, and the old woman who thought fire was a bad idea. They were fun characters.
I also loved the continued banter between Ian and Barbara, continuing to establish their reaction to the amazing things happening around them. Ian continues to doubt while Barbara is more open minded about events.
Overall I did enjoy the episode, but believe that the pace could be tightened up significantly.
Ketina, the Impatient Companion
NEXT WEEK: "THE FOREST OF FEAR"
Synopsis: Originally shown on 30 November, 1963. The TARDIS lands in Ice Age era Europe, where a tribe is having a disagreement over leadership. Za's father made fire, but he cannot. Kal, an interloper, claims to be able to make fire. Kal discovers the Doctor (who's left the ship to explore) smoking and kidnaps him. Ian (who's gobsmacked about not being in a London junkyard anymore), Barbara and Susan attempt to rescue him, but they're all captured and thrown into the titular Cave of Skulls--and Za declares they will be executed at the next sunrise!
Ketina, Ronelyn, Blueraccoon and I watched the episode together. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the performance by the regulars. William Russell (as Ian) was particularly good at conveying his absolute disbelief, even when confronted by the evidence of his own eyes. William Hartnell continues to amaze; he's just so darn good at both the mischievious mystery and the honesty he shows towards the end of the episode. All of the actors show a depth, with the possible exception of Jacqueline Hill, who isn't given very much to do (although her belief in spite of everything is excellent). Susan's absolute desperation at losing her only link with her home in the Doctor is really effectively played by Carole Ann Ford. The writing is just top notch, although Ketina has some issues that I suppose she'll talk about in her post.
Something I missed in last week's chaos, but that I'd very much like to keep track of, is how the show developed elements that we'll see more of later. Last week, for example, we had the introduction of the TARDIS (which Susan claims to have named from the description "Time and Relative Dimension in Space"--note the singular for Dimension) as well as our first description of the Doctor and Susan's homeworld. Susan was "born in another place, another time," and the Doctor asks Ian and Barbara if they know what it's like to be exiles. Interestingly, the implication seems to be that they can't get home for some reason (there was an early idea that their home planet had been destroyed, but it wound up not being taken up), rather than the Doctor being on the run for stealing a time machine.
This week, in addition to our first travel in time, we're shown that the TARDIS might not be entirely functional. Some gagues don't seem to work properly and the outer shell, which has apparently changed to blend in in the past (Susan's descriptions imply some interesting trips) is no longer functioning--it's stuck as a 1963 era police box!
In all, this was an good episode, keeping the interest generated by the first one up nicely. Although there are a few parts that might not work completely to modern eyes (see Ketina's post for her thoughts), for a 1963 audience I can see it as, well, perhaps not riveting, but certainly diverting for the family at tea time. We're still a few weeks away from The Moment Doctor Who Became a National Phenomenon, but the ratings were decent, and this serial certainly shows us the original educational plan for the series--back in time, then science fiction, alternating. I suppose one can wonder though if the second story (to come in a few weeks!) hadn't changed everything and become the blueprint for much of the series, how things would have gone.... But now, I shall turn things over to my companion, Ketina. Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Just finished watching the second episode of Doctor Who with The Historian, The Cave of Skulls (part two of the eventually titled 100,000 Years B.C.). Please read the Historian's summary first.
My reactions:
Silly bits -- the gob smacked cave man Kal, as he stared at the Tardis shortly after it landed.
Boring bits (in my opinion) -- The lengthy debate between Za and Kal regarding what to do with the strange old man who could make fire from his fingers. They each made their point, which seemed long enough to me, and then proceeded to make pretty much the exact same points again two more times. If I had to watch Kal wiggle his fingers again "he made smoke come out of his fingers" I was going to hit the fast forward button. But then, we would have missed the ENTIRE episode. They didn't even get to the proverbial Cave of Skulls until the very end of the episode.
Irritating bits - Susan is quite the screamer, isn't she? Quite feisty however!
Weird bits - the fight scenes seemed very disjointed to me. Lots of close ups, hands and feet and bits, making it very difficult to see what was going on. While Susan joining the fight was evident, both by her screams and when we see her jump onto a caveman's back, it wasn't clear to me that Ian and Barbara were in the fight until the end when we see they have been captured. It reminded me a lot of the type of confusing and frustrating fight choreography found in current films.
Good bits -- as long as the scenes went, the acting was quite good. I also loved the characters of the cave lady who wanted to be given to Kal, and the old woman who thought fire was a bad idea. They were fun characters.
I also loved the continued banter between Ian and Barbara, continuing to establish their reaction to the amazing things happening around them. Ian continues to doubt while Barbara is more open minded about events.
Overall I did enjoy the episode, but believe that the pace could be tightened up significantly.
Ketina, the Impatient Companion
NEXT WEEK: "THE FOREST OF FEAR"
Sunday, November 23, 2008
"An Unearthly Child"
The Historian here, welcoming you to the official beginning of the TARDIS Project! Our format for these posts is still a bit in flux, so I invite our readers to offer suggestions of what you'd like us to talk about in regards to each episode. But until then...
Today, Ketina and I, along with this week's companion contingent of Ronelyn, Schmallturm, Kroroboros and BlueRaccoon, sat down to watch the first episode of Doctor Who, "An Unearthly Child," originally shown on November 23rd, 1963. The summary: schoolteachers Ian Chesteron (science) and Barbara Cartwright (history) decide to investigate the home life of a strange schoolgirl, Susan Foreman. They follow her to her home address, discovering it is a junkyard run by a mysterious old man, her grandfather. They force their way into a Police Box, from which they heard their student's voice, discovering the TARDIS and beginning a journey in time and space....
The reactions from our group was generally positive. I opined that the whole thing felt a bit like a stage play, given that the studio scenes were shot in order with minimal editing. Ronelyn found the set-up and characters reminicent of a John Wyndham novel, with ordinary people stumbling into an extraordinary situation and trying to figure it out logically. (See Ian's bafflement with the interior size of the TARDIS: "I walked all around the thing!") Kroroboros: "Susan was cute."
All in all, this was an auspicious start. I can see how it would have intrigued both children and their parents. It presented a mystery and doled out just enough information to whet the appetite for more. And the ending, with the shadow falling over the landscape before the TARDIS was a great cliffhanger. Even though I know, I still can't wait to see what happens next!
THE HISTORIAN
Turning things over to my Partner In Time, Ketina:
Sorry, technical problems are causing me difficulties in blogging on my own. Reversing the polarity just ain't working. Ketina here, the impatient companion. I call myself impatient as watching only one episode per week is gonna result in my gnawing my own arm off before this is over, but I digress.
Loved the episode. I relate best to Susan's character - I would have loved to have been a girl like her when I was young. The pacing of the episode wasn't as slow as I remembered it being, in fact it didn't seem very slow at all. At least so far. There's also a nice mystery too things. She's smart and savy, yet still naive. She's not willing to outright disobey her grandfather, but she'll still stand up to him when she doesn't agree with his actions.
Something else I noticed in particular was the episode's sound track. I noted how long the opening music continued into the episode. Rather than ending as soon as the scene started, it continues well into the scene, although thankfully not over any dialog. The background music continues setting the mood throughout the episode and I liked it.
Other characters. Ian is rather mean and pushy, barging past "grandfather" and shoving his way into the Police Box. Barbara is quite noisy but more curious and concerned. I loved the scene in the car when Barbara comments that they are there as much out of curiousity as they are concern for their student. I like that honest part of her character, which establishes her well.
The Doctor is just awesome. His mumbling to himself is great, the way he hints at what he's thinking. I agree with The Historian's earlier assessment about the stage play feel, as The Doctor's side comments in this epsiode feel like asides in a stage play. A little Shakespeare in feel. But is still cool to see in his head a bit. He doesn't come across as a nice man, given that he's supposed the main character, and yet he kidnaps half the cast in opening episode.
Okay, that's my stream of consciousness on the spot review. Both the Historian and I may add more to this later, and we refine our process. Like the first story of Doctor Who, we're still trying to figure everything out.
Until next week!
NEXT WEEK: "THE CAVE OF SKULLS"
Today, Ketina and I, along with this week's companion contingent of Ronelyn, Schmallturm, Kroroboros and BlueRaccoon, sat down to watch the first episode of Doctor Who, "An Unearthly Child," originally shown on November 23rd, 1963. The summary: schoolteachers Ian Chesteron (science) and Barbara Cartwright (history) decide to investigate the home life of a strange schoolgirl, Susan Foreman. They follow her to her home address, discovering it is a junkyard run by a mysterious old man, her grandfather. They force their way into a Police Box, from which they heard their student's voice, discovering the TARDIS and beginning a journey in time and space....
The reactions from our group was generally positive. I opined that the whole thing felt a bit like a stage play, given that the studio scenes were shot in order with minimal editing. Ronelyn found the set-up and characters reminicent of a John Wyndham novel, with ordinary people stumbling into an extraordinary situation and trying to figure it out logically. (See Ian's bafflement with the interior size of the TARDIS: "I walked all around the thing!") Kroroboros: "Susan was cute."
All in all, this was an auspicious start. I can see how it would have intrigued both children and their parents. It presented a mystery and doled out just enough information to whet the appetite for more. And the ending, with the shadow falling over the landscape before the TARDIS was a great cliffhanger. Even though I know, I still can't wait to see what happens next!
THE HISTORIAN
Turning things over to my Partner In Time, Ketina:
Sorry, technical problems are causing me difficulties in blogging on my own. Reversing the polarity just ain't working. Ketina here, the impatient companion. I call myself impatient as watching only one episode per week is gonna result in my gnawing my own arm off before this is over, but I digress.
Loved the episode. I relate best to Susan's character - I would have loved to have been a girl like her when I was young. The pacing of the episode wasn't as slow as I remembered it being, in fact it didn't seem very slow at all. At least so far. There's also a nice mystery too things. She's smart and savy, yet still naive. She's not willing to outright disobey her grandfather, but she'll still stand up to him when she doesn't agree with his actions.
Something else I noticed in particular was the episode's sound track. I noted how long the opening music continued into the episode. Rather than ending as soon as the scene started, it continues well into the scene, although thankfully not over any dialog. The background music continues setting the mood throughout the episode and I liked it.
Other characters. Ian is rather mean and pushy, barging past "grandfather" and shoving his way into the Police Box. Barbara is quite noisy but more curious and concerned. I loved the scene in the car when Barbara comments that they are there as much out of curiousity as they are concern for their student. I like that honest part of her character, which establishes her well.
The Doctor is just awesome. His mumbling to himself is great, the way he hints at what he's thinking. I agree with The Historian's earlier assessment about the stage play feel, as The Doctor's side comments in this epsiode feel like asides in a stage play. A little Shakespeare in feel. But is still cool to see in his head a bit. He doesn't come across as a nice man, given that he's supposed the main character, and yet he kidnaps half the cast in opening episode.
Okay, that's my stream of consciousness on the spot review. Both the Historian and I may add more to this later, and we refine our process. Like the first story of Doctor Who, we're still trying to figure everything out.
Until next week!
NEXT WEEK: "THE CAVE OF SKULLS"
Thursday, November 20, 2008
"Ironmongery"?
(Note: I originally posted this on my personal blog, but since it is about Doctor Who pre-production reports, it only makes sense to crosspost it here. --THE HISTORIAN)
In 1962, the new Head of Drama at the BBC commissioned a report on the idea of development of a science fiction program for the channel. The "Quartermass" series (beginning with 1953's "Quartermass Experiment") and "A for Andromeda" serial (1961) had led to the belief that a regular SF TV series might be possible.
Well, we all know where the report led, but most people have never actually read the thing. Now we can; to celebrate Doctor Who's 45th anniversary, the BBC Archive has put a bunch of original documents detailing the program's development online. I've read the original report and it's a fascinating "outsider's" look at SF in 1962 and why it might or might not be popular with the public at large. Although talking about the British public in general, I think the general ideas were probably applicable to a US television audience as well, especially in the "general audience will have to catch up with science fiction, rather than vice versa." To be honest, reading this and the obvious work done to lay the groundwork for what would become Doctor Who, I think I might understand a little more about why it ran (essentially) uninterrupted for 23 years, watched by a wide variety of people, whereas the original Star Trek lasted for 2 for a general audience, then got a third season thanks to die-hard fans and stayed a cult/kids show until the late '70s. Not to say one is any more quality than the other, but the planning and production of both were vastly different. Doctor Who seems to have been quite consciously developed as "bringing the people to SF," whereas Trek was certainly "bringing SF to the people." DW brought the audience to them, ST had to wait for the general audience to catch up with it.
Anyway, I found it really interesting. Anyone else?
I do make a distinction between TV and radio here; it's true that radio shows like "X Minus One" had been moderately successful at adapting SF stories, but they used sound rather than visuals which I think makes a big difference. I don't know; I feel like there must be a distinction there, but I'm finding it hard to articulate. Again, anyone else?
Additional: Here's the follow-up report identifying possible sources of adaptation (or ideas) for SF TV series. Notice which one has been highlighted by someone receiving the report; I had no idea the seed of Doctor Who came from a Poul Anderson novel! I should probably read that at some point...
In 1962, the new Head of Drama at the BBC commissioned a report on the idea of development of a science fiction program for the channel. The "Quartermass" series (beginning with 1953's "Quartermass Experiment") and "A for Andromeda" serial (1961) had led to the belief that a regular SF TV series might be possible.
Well, we all know where the report led, but most people have never actually read the thing. Now we can; to celebrate Doctor Who's 45th anniversary, the BBC Archive has put a bunch of original documents detailing the program's development online. I've read the original report and it's a fascinating "outsider's" look at SF in 1962 and why it might or might not be popular with the public at large. Although talking about the British public in general, I think the general ideas were probably applicable to a US television audience as well, especially in the "general audience will have to catch up with science fiction, rather than vice versa." To be honest, reading this and the obvious work done to lay the groundwork for what would become Doctor Who, I think I might understand a little more about why it ran (essentially) uninterrupted for 23 years, watched by a wide variety of people, whereas the original Star Trek lasted for 2 for a general audience, then got a third season thanks to die-hard fans and stayed a cult/kids show until the late '70s. Not to say one is any more quality than the other, but the planning and production of both were vastly different. Doctor Who seems to have been quite consciously developed as "bringing the people to SF," whereas Trek was certainly "bringing SF to the people." DW brought the audience to them, ST had to wait for the general audience to catch up with it.
Anyway, I found it really interesting. Anyone else?
I do make a distinction between TV and radio here; it's true that radio shows like "X Minus One" had been moderately successful at adapting SF stories, but they used sound rather than visuals which I think makes a big difference. I don't know; I feel like there must be a distinction there, but I'm finding it hard to articulate. Again, anyone else?
Additional: Here's the follow-up report identifying possible sources of adaptation (or ideas) for SF TV series. Notice which one has been highlighted by someone receiving the report; I had no idea the seed of Doctor Who came from a Poul Anderson novel! I should probably read that at some point...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Archive Opens
I no sooner hit "post" than word came through that the BBC has opened their Archive for the 45th anniversary and put early works about the development of Doctor Who online! As this has direct bearing on our project, I plan on reading through a good deal of it over the weekend and will undoubtedly post more about it then. I encourage you to take a look at some of these documents yourselves--remember, history isn't just kings and queens. This is history too!
Still I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Still I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Lost in Time-er, I mean Thailand?
Hello, the Historian here. While we're gearing up for our grand premiere on Sunday (and Companion Ketina still assures me she'll introduce herself at some point), I have the shadow of good news. According to a story in the Daily Telegraph, it seems a researcher has traced episodes of "Marco Polo" and (probably) "The Reign of Terror" to Thailand! There's nothing to say, of course, that copies survive, but it seems the Thai television stations never returned the films to the BBC. It's at best the shadow of a hope of a dream, but there's still at least the loosest possibility, if this researcher's work bears fruit, that we could be seeing more than just reconstructions of stories like "Marco Polo" (like the ones Ketina and I will be viewing in a couple of months' time) someday!
Living in hope, as all Doctor Who lovers must, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Living in hope, as all Doctor Who lovers must, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Monday, November 10, 2008
Practical Effects
Hello everyone, the Historian here. There's still a fortnight or so until the Project begins, but I wanted to write a bit about something I don't think many people realize about early Doctor Who--indeed, about the series in the sixties and (to a certain extent) seventies in general. Too often, I see statements like this one (though admittedly, that example is an attempt to play for laughs) that dismiss old Doctor Who as "cheap." Now, of course, some things are a matter of taste, but I think taking that attitude betrays a certain misunderstanding of television production (especially in Britain) of the time. The fact of the matter is, in some ways, Doctor Who was often at the forefront of "special effects," which is all the more remarkable given both budget and production.
In this post-"Star Wars" era, people seem to forget that most special effects tended to be more practical in nature than not. In the early sixties, in fact, practical effects were a necessity. Essentially, these consisted of various things (small explosions, fires, whatever) that could actually be filmed in the studio as taping was going on. It's important to understand that Doctor Who in the sixties had, at best, minimal post-production time; there was a year, in fact, where the timing was so tight that studio recording took place only a week before the episode was due to be broadcast! Early on, studio scenes (and there was very little that was not shot in the studio) were filmed in order, allowing for minimal time needed for editing. (Evidence for this can easily be seen over Hartnell's tenure as the "Billy-fluffs" were often left in the final product.) Add to the production schedule the necessity to build entirely new sets every few weeks (if not every week) on the budget reserved for a "children's show," it's really quite remarkable what Doctor Who of the sixties achieved, in its average of forty-two episodes a year. (Contrast this with "Star Trek's" higher budget, shorter seasons and post production time and what Doctor Who achieved in comparison is even more remarkable.) There's the oft told story of a call to the production office in 1965 by Stanley Kubrick's 2001 team enquiring how they'd achieved a weightless effect seen in that week's episode. ("Counter-Plot," episode five of "The Dalek Master Plan.") The model work done for the series was also ahead of its time; not all of it worked, some of the manipulation was a bit naff, but a great deal of it was tremendously ahead of its time. (The final scenes of 1967's "Evil of the Daleks" look amazing, even today. I'm looking forward to getting to them in...a few years. I only wish more of it survived; there's amazing footage on the Lost in Time set of how the models were filmed.)
The scope of this blog is basically Doctor Who in the sixties, but the seventies continued the show's experimentation with effects, thanks to a shorter season and greater post-production time. It may look silly in our age of computer generated work, but Doctor Who's use of CSO (aka "Green Screen/Blue Screen," which was actually partially developed by the BBC) to expand the show's horizons past the painted backdrop anticipated effects seen in today's movies like 300, the Lord of the Rings, etc., etc. Did it all work? No, of course not. But to call it "cheap," or "terrible" or "primitive" shows a deep misunderstanding of not only how the show was made, but what was actually technologically possible at the time. In fact, Doctor Who of the sixties and early seventies was just as advanced as the show is today.
More to come, I'm sure, in anticipation of Doctor Who's big anniversary on the 23rd! As always, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Friday, November 7, 2008
Hmm? What's that? Who's there! Oh, it's you.
Ahem. Welcome to the TARDIS Project. I am the Historian and, together with my courageous companion Ketina, we will be journeying through the mists of Time to explore the early televised history of Doctor Who. To put it more simply, Ketina and I (and any others we may pick up and drop off along the way--time travellers have a tendency to do that, you know) plan to watch every episode of the first six seasons of the BBC series, one at a time. Ideally, our schedule will be an episode a week, though Ketina has promised to continue to attempt to convince me to watch more at a time. I shall, of course, continue to resist. (We shall see who wins out in this battle of wills and how long it might take!) We will do this using both televised episodes and, where necessary, reconstructions of episodes that are missing. This web log will be used to chronicle our travels with the Doctor, looking at the show's development, the characters who come and go, our views of the production and probably many other things along the way. Ketina and I invite you to follow us in our quest! Postings should be at a minimum of once weekly from the 23rd of November when we sit down on Doctor Who's 45th birthday to watch "An Unearthly Child." We may have to skip a few weeks, we may have multiple posts in a week, so keep checking back!
Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
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