Wittering on about forty year old telly
So while the Beeb BURNT Troughton, sometimes I forget that they also did the same to a fair chunk of Hartnell, and his final full year as the Doctor really suffers for it (there're three complete stories surviving from a series of ten) and nobody really talks about series 3. NOT BECAUSE IT'S BORING. It's not. It's got Galaxy 4 (shutup, any story that uses the word 'chumblie' wins. I have no idea what a chumblie is but they keep saying it and IT AMUSES ME.), Myth Makers (this one is actually properly class), The Massacre (one of the last and most shocking historicals), the Savages (Morality tale! With Steven given a truly fabulous leaving scene, which, remarkably is about the only moving bit left of that story) and, oh my, the Daleks' Masterplan. Which is the most awful Doctor Who story ever. And I mean that in a good way. It reduced me to a wee quivering wreck.
The last real recovery of lost sixties Who was Day of Armageddon, the second episode of this story. And I sort of only half-watched it at the time, for it's part of a massive 12-parter, and it wasn't till this week I finally got around to watching and listening to the whole thing with the new episode stuck in.
It's just amazing really. It's so big, and epic, and I'm not even laughing at the whole 'ruler of the universe' spiel the Daleks and Mavic Chen keep indulging in. It's all over the place in that Objective Quality, and I'm sure that stuff between episodes 4 and 10 could be cut a bit, because all I can remember is the Monk, yay! And coming to the conclusion that the fans who moan about the Feast of Steven (comedy episode stuck in the middle of a fairly serious sci-fi tale) are FOOLS. Cause, really, thank goodness it's stuck in there to be a TINY SPOT OF HOPE in the whole oppressive darkess of the thing. (And it's really very noticeable how much DW seems to have 'grown-up' in three years, it's so much harsher here, no more pottering about for episode one giving science/history lessons.)
Sara Kingdom is as FAB (Space Security agent, dude). She is wonderful, and I love her. And it's awful listening to it and knowing what's going to happen to her at the end. Cause that image of her aging to death is one of my really early memories of Who and it scared me something awful. And it still does. But, really, she approaches Babs-like awsomeness, with her attitude. She shoots her brother cause she thinks he's a traitor, she fights better than Steven and is a lot more willing to question the Doctor (while Steven, thanks to his longer association, trusts him) and the best part of that is that they're both right, she's confident that she can beat the Daleks, efficient, straightforward, brilliant in a crisis. I LOVE HER.
And episode 11 is all about Steven and Sara (Hartnell's off on holiday, I assume) and they are wonderful together. It is a beautiful relationship and it makes me sad they are only together for eight episodes, woe. THEY SAVE THE UNIVERSE TOGETHER.
And episode 4 is pretty gut-wrenching. For Katarina kills herself to help the Doctor. And Bret gets shot by Sara. And they've both been acting as companions for 4 episodes and both deaths are pretty shocking, made more so by the reactions of others. Steven is, in fact, fabulous throughout the whole thing. He gets forgotten lots, and this makes me sad for he is rather smashing.
But episode 12, it made me cry. It was scary. And dark. And had the most downbeat ending I can remember, with Steven mourning the deaths of Katarina and Bret and Sara. And Hartnell is fabulous, the little laugh thing he does? It's here too, but in such a sombre tone. And there's a stark contrast in the attitudes of the two, with the Doctor so much more willing to forget and move on than Steven. And, oh my, oh Sara, dying because she went back to help the Doctor whilst Steven returned to the TARDIS. And they both get caught in the effects of the Time Destructor and the Doctor's saying, "Oh, the Time Destructor is working!" as Kembel, the planet, ages to dust around them and Sara's aging to death too but takes the time to snap back, "D'you really think I hadn't noticed?"
And she dies within sight of the TARDIS. It's kinda heart-breaking, yes.
So, um, yes, I finished watching the Daleks' Masterplan for the first time since forever, and it is a wonderful, wonderful story indeed.
In other news, tea! Aha! Vindication! Tea will make me healthier, hurrah! And I don't have to drink so much boring water. So, yes, that makes me feel an awful lot better about the number of teas I'll drink a day when left to me own devices. Now all I need is a survey saying that cake is full of vitamins, and my diet will be perfect, yes.
And since currently my life consists of Organising Stuff For New Flat, here are more interesting things:
Rose Tyler Gen Ficathon - sign-up and write fic! Because gen is the true actual oppressed bit of the fandom, OH YES.
Romanathon Ficathon Stories - Romana!fic, due in today. I'm all done and written and such (and, in fact, finished last week, so it's my most organised writing for a ficathon ever) but want to have another read through before I post. But, yes, Romana fic. That is A Good Thing.
Martha Jones ficathon - er, yeah, I have no idea why I signed up for this. But it is liable to produce cracktastic goodness! From me, anyway..though possibly not the goodness bit. And there is a teeny-tiny minimum word count, so you should sign-up too. Yes.
Misc Reccing
Babylon 5 - Let's Do It by alicamel - I love this vid, it is cheering like woah! You should watch, yes.
Babylon 5 - Ophelia by andrastewhite - And this one is simply beautiful and maybe breaks you a little bit inside.
Rose/Doctor Icons by yuxonomei - Rose and All The Other Doctors. These make me very happy, and wanting to write Rose/Eight.
The last real recovery of lost sixties Who was Day of Armageddon, the second episode of this story. And I sort of only half-watched it at the time, for it's part of a massive 12-parter, and it wasn't till this week I finally got around to watching and listening to the whole thing with the new episode stuck in.
It's just amazing really. It's so big, and epic, and I'm not even laughing at the whole 'ruler of the universe' spiel the Daleks and Mavic Chen keep indulging in. It's all over the place in that Objective Quality, and I'm sure that stuff between episodes 4 and 10 could be cut a bit, because all I can remember is the Monk, yay! And coming to the conclusion that the fans who moan about the Feast of Steven (comedy episode stuck in the middle of a fairly serious sci-fi tale) are FOOLS. Cause, really, thank goodness it's stuck in there to be a TINY SPOT OF HOPE in the whole oppressive darkess of the thing. (And it's really very noticeable how much DW seems to have 'grown-up' in three years, it's so much harsher here, no more pottering about for episode one giving science/history lessons.)
Sara Kingdom is as FAB (Space Security agent, dude). She is wonderful, and I love her. And it's awful listening to it and knowing what's going to happen to her at the end. Cause that image of her aging to death is one of my really early memories of Who and it scared me something awful. And it still does. But, really, she approaches Babs-like awsomeness, with her attitude. She shoots her brother cause she thinks he's a traitor, she fights better than Steven and is a lot more willing to question the Doctor (while Steven, thanks to his longer association, trusts him) and the best part of that is that they're both right, she's confident that she can beat the Daleks, efficient, straightforward, brilliant in a crisis. I LOVE HER.
And episode 11 is all about Steven and Sara (Hartnell's off on holiday, I assume) and they are wonderful together. It is a beautiful relationship and it makes me sad they are only together for eight episodes, woe. THEY SAVE THE UNIVERSE TOGETHER.
And episode 4 is pretty gut-wrenching. For Katarina kills herself to help the Doctor. And Bret gets shot by Sara. And they've both been acting as companions for 4 episodes and both deaths are pretty shocking, made more so by the reactions of others. Steven is, in fact, fabulous throughout the whole thing. He gets forgotten lots, and this makes me sad for he is rather smashing.
But episode 12, it made me cry. It was scary. And dark. And had the most downbeat ending I can remember, with Steven mourning the deaths of Katarina and Bret and Sara. And Hartnell is fabulous, the little laugh thing he does? It's here too, but in such a sombre tone. And there's a stark contrast in the attitudes of the two, with the Doctor so much more willing to forget and move on than Steven. And, oh my, oh Sara, dying because she went back to help the Doctor whilst Steven returned to the TARDIS. And they both get caught in the effects of the Time Destructor and the Doctor's saying, "Oh, the Time Destructor is working!" as Kembel, the planet, ages to dust around them and Sara's aging to death too but takes the time to snap back, "D'you really think I hadn't noticed?"
And she dies within sight of the TARDIS. It's kinda heart-breaking, yes.
So, um, yes, I finished watching the Daleks' Masterplan for the first time since forever, and it is a wonderful, wonderful story indeed.
In other news, tea! Aha! Vindication! Tea will make me healthier, hurrah! And I don't have to drink so much boring water. So, yes, that makes me feel an awful lot better about the number of teas I'll drink a day when left to me own devices. Now all I need is a survey saying that cake is full of vitamins, and my diet will be perfect, yes.
And since currently my life consists of Organising Stuff For New Flat, here are more interesting things:
Rose Tyler Gen Ficathon - sign-up and write fic! Because gen is the true actual oppressed bit of the fandom, OH YES.
Romanathon Ficathon Stories - Romana!fic, due in today. I'm all done and written and such (and, in fact, finished last week, so it's my most organised writing for a ficathon ever) but want to have another read through before I post. But, yes, Romana fic. That is A Good Thing.
Martha Jones ficathon - er, yeah, I have no idea why I signed up for this. But it is liable to produce cracktastic goodness! From me, anyway..though possibly not the goodness bit. And there is a teeny-tiny minimum word count, so you should sign-up too. Yes.
Misc Reccing
Babylon 5 - Let's Do It by alicamel - I love this vid, it is cheering like woah! You should watch, yes.
Babylon 5 - Ophelia by andrastewhite - And this one is simply beautiful and maybe breaks you a little bit inside.
Rose/Doctor Icons by yuxonomei - Rose and All The Other Doctors. These make me very happy, and wanting to write Rose/Eight.