The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon

The Android Invasion: Part One (22/11/15) I think this story may have been better served had it been given a different title. As such, it becomes obvious from the start that practically everyone we met was an android (although some moved in a more agile, Human way), thus explaining the villagers' behaviour, but the script is  by Terry Nation and he's never been one for subtlety. That said, we've seen hide nor hair of a Dalek yet, which is very unusual for him! I'd've expected it at the cliffhanger, but instead we got a rather dodgy-looking alien peeking through a trapdoor in a wall. Anyhow, titles aside the Doctor and Sarah have landed on what smells like Earth after a rainstorm but is dry and sunny as a long Summers' day so may or may not be, and they spent the episode exploring the deserted village of Devesham and trying to figure out the plot. The were chased by space-suited robots (sorry, androids) which only Sarah has seen the circuit-board face of so f...

Pyramids Of Mars: Part One (25/10/15) Very interesting this week. Starting off in Egypt with the discovery of an untouched tomb by Archaeologist Marcus Scarman, the narrative soon moved to the Priory on which UNIT HQ was built after it burnt down. It's 1911 and, some months later, Scarman is missing and all the finds from the tomb have been moved to the Priory where he lives by Sutekh follower and organ player Ibrahim Namin. Marcus' friend, Dr. Warlock, is up in arms over the matter, not least because Ibrahim has banned younger brother Lawrence Scarman from the house (luckily there's a hunting lodge for him in the grounds). The TARDIS arrived in a storeroom in a locked wing, but the Doctor and Sarah were soon found by the Butler who assumed they were snooping while Warlock distracted Ibrahim. After informing them something dodgy was going on and sending them off out a window to report to Warlock, the Butler was strangled by a huge Mummy! Alerted by his death-cries, Ib...

Planet Of Evil: Part One (27/09/15) Another good episode, very nice sets - especially the alien forest. Very dark and atmospheric. The Doctor and Sarah have answered a distress call sent by a geological expedition on the Planet Zeta Minor. Unfortunately, all but one of the eight expedition members are dead, killed by an invisible force that seems to turn them into desiccated corpses mere hours after attacking them and making them disappear. Equally unfortunately, a ship from their home planet, Morestra, has come to retrieve them and have landed, found the TARDIS, transported it (and Sarah inside) to their ship, and assumed the Doctor and Sarah are the killers. They aren't, obviously, as having escaped the room they'd been locked up in they encountered what I assume is really responsible - a big, translucent, red-liney thing! A very atmospheric episode, slightly slow moving but in a good way, and setting up the tension and numerous questions. Good effects, great design and...

Terror Of The Zygons: Part One (30/08/15) A new series already and it's brilliant! This must be the shortest break between series since when Patrick Troughton was the Doctor. We're in Scotland and the Brigadier has called the Doctor et al. back to investigate the destruction of a number of oil rigs. It's beautifully shot and Robert Banks Stewart's script is brilliant; full of drama, tension, mystery and some fantastic characters. There's the surly Duke of Forgill; Huckle, the man in charge at the oil company; a landlord with second sight and the odd Sister Lamont. A huge sea monster seems to be responsible for the destruction of the rigs, though we've only seen its scaly side and a huge tooth mark in a fragment of concrete. And the whole thing is being watched by creepy, orange aliens who seem to enjoy manipulating the organic controls of their machine. While Harry investigated the crushed bodies of the accident victims, Sarah interviewed the landlord and ...