New Figurine Collection

Today I bought Issue 1 of the new Doctor Who figurine collection. The first figure is the 11th Doctor, giving his Stonehenge speech from The Pandorica Opens. The accompanying magazine has a large feature on that episode, as well as a piece on the TARDIS, one on Matt Smith's original costume, and a look at what was going on in Doctor Who and the wider world in 1963.
The figure is very well done. A guide issued along with the magazine lets us know of future releases - and they cover the whole 50 years of the programme.
All 11 Doctors will be released, but no sign of companions.
From the Hartnell era we are going to get an original Dalek and The Tenth Planet Cyberman.
From the Toughton period an Ice Warrior and a Tomb Cyberman.
There will be Omega, a Silurian, Draconian, Axon Monster and Dalek from Day of the Daleks representing Jon Pertwee's tenure in the TARDIS.
From the Tom Baker years, a Zygon, a Voc Robot, an Osiran Mummy, a Wirrn, and the decayed Master.
Into Davison's era and we get Sharaz Jek, an Earthshock Cyberman, a Warriors Sea Devil and a Terrileptil.
Only a Vervoid makes it from Colin Baker's time. Please note there is no Eric Roberts Master...
There's the Ancient Haemovore and Special Weapons Dalek from McCoy's period.
From 2005 there is the new RTD Dalek and Cassandra.
Davros, a Judoon, Sycorax, Cyberman and Cyber-Controller, a Sontaran and the Red / Gold Dalek Supreme represent the Tennant era.
Bringing things up to date are Strax, a masked Siluran, new Paradigm Dalek, the new Ice Warrior, a Weeping Angel and a Silent.
This is what is featured but may not represent the whole list to be released. The magazine implies there will be 50 issues - so they will be able to include the 12th Doctor if releases are fortnightly.

The first issue is £2.99 and all future issues will be £6.99. The second issue has the Julian Bleach Davros, the third a Tennant era Cyberman, and the fourth an Angel.
Should you decide to subscribe, you get a few free gifts - an Emperor Dalek (RTD version), a binder for the magazines, and a stand that can accommodate 10 figures. You can also get an on-line version of the mag.
It's probably best to subscribe, as shops only ever carry the first few issues of any part-work. Do be wary about the small print however. If you don't tick some boxes you end up buying more folders (£6.99 each) and display stands (£14.99 each) which you might not want.
For an extra £1 per issue you can upgrade and get some exclusive Daleks - Dalek Sec, the cobwebbed Emperor Guard Dalek from Asylum, the Masterplan Black Dalek, the RTD Emperor Guard, a movie one, the chained "Oswin" Dalek, and the Saucer Commander from Invasion. Please note they don't all get sent at once.
I think I will certainly subscribe (and go for the extra Daleks). An average of £4 per week for a good quality 1:21 scale miniature and a publication seems quite good value to me.

Story 81 - Planet of Evil

In which the Doctor and Sarah are returning to UNIT HQ when the TARDIS picks up a faint distress signal. This takes them to the densely-jungled planet of Zeta Minor, on the outermost fringe of the known universe.
A scientific expedition from the planet Morestra is here. Some powerful and invisible force has attacked the team members - draining their bodies of all energy. Only one man survives - the leader, Professor Sorenson.
The expedition's distress signal has also been intercepted by a military spaceship from their homeworld, which was on its way to check on them. In command is Salamar. Second in command is the more experienced Vishinsky.
The Morestran ship lands and the crew find the TARDIS. It is transmatted onto their craft with Sarah on board, and she is captured when she emerges.
The Doctor is caught soon after in the expedition's quarters. He and Sarah are accused of being responsible for the deaths. Things are not helped when one of the Morestran soldiers is killed shortly after they escape.

Sorenson had come to this primitive world in search of a new energy source. Morestra's sun is dying. Energy crystals have been found here, located near a mysterious black pool which does not reflect light. The Doctor examines a sample of the crystals and discovers that they are rich in anti-matter energy. This planet sits on the edge of the universe of matter, and the pool forms a gateway to the neighbouring universe of anti-matter. It is home to a creature capable of straddling the two universes. It is this which has been killing the Morestrans. The crystals are only stable on this world, and to take them to Morestra would be disastrous. The whole universe could be at risk. The crystals have also infected Sorenson. He suffers blackouts, during which he transforms into a savage being. In this form, he is also capable of killing in the same way as the creature from the pool.

To stop the attacks by the creature, the Doctor goes to the pool to communicate with it. He assures the creature that none of the crystals will be removed from the planet. When the Morestran ship takes off, however, the anti-matter energy within Sorenson is enough to cause the ship to be dragged back to the surface. The professor had been using a chemical to try to stabilise his condition, but this no longer works and he goes on the rampage through the ship. Salamar shoots him with a radiation weapon but instead of killing him, multiple energy copies are created - all just as deadly. Salamar is killed. Vishinsky and Sarah are trapped in the flight deck as the ship heads for destruction. The Doctor lures Sorenson into the TARDIS and takes him to the black pool. Sorenson falls in. He is released unharmed, the contagion gone, and with little memory of recent events. The Doctor steers him towards looking at kinetic energy to solve the Morestran sun problem.

This four part adventure was written by Louis Marks, and broadcast between 27th September and 18th October, 1975.
This was Marks' third contribution to the programme, following 1964's Planet of Giants and 1971's Day of the Daleks. Two clear influences can be discerned in this story. One is Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - in the transformations of Professor Sorenson and his chemical attempts to control them. The other - in terms of general design and the mostly invisible monster - is the classic 1956 film Forbidden Planet, which was in turn inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest. The Anti-Matter Monster is very much based on that film's Monster from the Id. There are parallels between Sorenson's attitudes towards science and experimentation, and those of Dr. Morbius.
There is a great cast list - and all Doctor Who veterans - but perhaps the biggest star of the programme is Roger Murray-Leach's astonishing jungle set, filmed at Ealing. One of the best pieces of design work ever to feature in the show.

As for the human stars, we have a reunion from 1966's The Savages - with Frederick Jaeger, who had played Jano, appearing as Sorenson, and Ewan Solon, who had been Chal, as Vishinsky.
Three prominent crew members are played by actors who have been in the programme before. De Haan is played by Graham Weston. He had appeared in The War Games. Ponti is Louis Mahoney, who had played a newsreader in Frontier in Space and who will return to the series as the old Billy Shipton in Blink.
Michael Wisher plays Morelli. Salamar is played by Prentis Hancock, who had appeared twice during the Pertwee years and would make one further appearance with Tom Baker.
Episode endings are:

1. The glowing red outline of some massive creature can be seen as it bears down on the Doctor and Sarah...
2. Tracked by the oculoid device, Sarah and the Morestrans see the Doctor arrive at the cave of the black pool. As the Anti-Matter creature emerges, the Doctor tumbles into the pool...
3. Sarah and the unconscious Doctor are trapped in pallets which are about to eject them into space. Vishinsky refuses to operate the equipment, but Salamar forces him to eject them...
4. Sorenson returns to Morestra with Vishinsky, whilst the TARDIS carries the Doctor and Sarah to their rendezvous with the Brigadier at UNIT HQ...

Overall, quite a tight suspenseful four parter. With Harry no longer around, we really get to see why the Tom and Lis partnership is regarded so highly. Some very scary material for younger viewers - with the red outline monsters and Sorenson's hirsute, savage alter-ego. The dessicated skeletal corpses are quite horrific for a tea-time audience. Great cast. Great design. It doesn't hide its literary and cinematic references.
Things you might like to know:

• As well as playing Morelli, Michael Wisher can also be heard playing an unseen crew member - with a rather dreadful Indian accent. This will be his final appearance in the programme. Had Resurrection of the Daleks not been put back a season due to industrial action, he would have reprised his role of Davros.
• The Morestrans have transmat capabilities and yet land their ship on Zeta Minor. You would expect them to beam down a party instead. Unless it doesn't work on people, and Sarah was only protected by being in the TARDIS.
• We see the TARDIS control room for the first time since part one of Death to the Daleks. The new set was used first for Pyramids of Mars, as that story was filmed before this one. You'll note that the scanner is missing.

Landmarks No.27

Earthshock.
JNT had the chance to put Doctor Who onto the cover of the Radio Times with this story - its first cover since the Pertwee days. However, the normally publicity hungry producer decided not to spoil the return of the Cybermen. And aren't we, who were there at the time, glad that he made that decision.
At the conclusion of part one, we were running round the living room screaming with joy. At least I was.
After a brilliantly tense opening episode, there were the Cybermen - back after one of their long absences, and with a wonderful new design.
In part two we got to see clips from The Tenth Planet, The Wheel In Space and Revenge of the Cybermen. (The VHS releases hadn't started yet, and there was no such thing as You Tube then).
Then, to top it all off, a companion gets killed at the conclusion of part four.
Poor old Adric. He started off with so much promise... Either the writers simply didn't know what to do with him, or JNT had asked them to turn him into an untrustworthy, stupid, unlikable character - so we wouldn't be too distraught at his demise.
Just think what the impact would have been on those watching had he been more loved.
The final episode has the end credits running without the music - the only occasion this has happened.
To be honest, it is a bit cringe-worthy. Adric was certainly no Martha Longhurst.

That Was The Week That Was 25.8.13

The latest issue of DWM hit the shops this week. Not a lot in it this month to be honest. I certainly didn't feel any urge to read the "making of" article on the 12th Doctor announcement show. The Neil Cross interview was a bit dull.
I gave up reading the Time Team feature years ago - so completely phony having professional fans faking reactions and pretending they're watching stories for the first time.
Naturally, all of the 12th Doctor items contained in the issue say a lot but tell you nothing.
The one thing I did learn from this issue was a point in the "Fact of Fiction" piece on Remembrance of the Daleks - that the gates with I.M. Foreman's name misspelled had actually been repainted at JNT's insistence for another reason earlier in the day. (I've since read that they had put L.M instead of I.M).
Regarding Capaldi and Series 8, Steven Moffat has been a lot more vocal in a couple of interviews - particularly at the Edinburgh Festival. Like DWM, he says a lot but doesn't necessarily tell you much.
It's almost certain Capaldi will use his natural Scottish accent.
Forget about any returning Time Lord characters.
Peter Jackson may well be directing a future episode.

On a personal note, I visited the small Radio Times exhibit at the Museum of London on Tuesday, before enjoying a pleasant walk through the City - passing a few Doctor Who locations on route. I am thinking of starting an occasional series of London-based "Then & Now" location pieces in this blog.

The Region 2 DVD cover has been revealed for The Tenth Planet. I am a little surprised to note that The Moonbase does not feature at all on Amazon UK, even though it was supposed to be released before this story (on 21st October). It is to be found on the US Amazon site - but without any proposed release date. Possibly, it is getting pushed back to 2014 - or is going to be swapped with the Hartnell Cyberman story?

As to the week ahead, remember that the Doctor Who Prom is on BBC 1 at 4pm tomorrow. The Ice Warriors DVD is released the same day. Sadly, Amazon have not managed to get my copy to me in advance of the Bank Holiday, so I'll have to wait until Tuesday to watch it.

Story 80 - Terror of the Zygons

In which the Doctor and his companions return to Earth at the behest of the Brigadier - the TARDIS materialising in the Highlands of Scotland. They are given a lift by the Duke of Forgill - the local laird - to the nearby village of Tullock, where UNIT have set up a temporary HQ in the hotel. The Brigadier informs them that a number of North Sea oil rigs have recently been destroyed - suddenly and completely. The Doctor is at first indignant that he has been brought back to Earth because of Mankind's over-reliance on fossil fuels, but soon becomes intrigued. One piece of wreckage has what appears to be the indentation of a massive tooth. He notes Tullock's proximity to Loch Ness. Harry finds a survivor of the most recent tragedy washed up on a nearby beach. The man is shot dead by a sniper, and Harry wounded. He is later abducted from the oil company's sick-bay.

At the bottom of the Loch lies a Zygon spaceship. It crash-landed here centuries ago. The Zygons released a Skarasen into the loch - a huge cyborg reptile - and its rare appearances on the surface have given rise to the stories of "Nessie", the Loch Ness Monster. The creature provides lactic fluid upon which the aliens thrive. The Doctor finds a partly organic homing device attached to another piece of wreckage, and deduces that it is placed there to attract the Skarasen. The rigs are in the creature's path to its North Sea feeding grounds. Zygons are able to disguise themselves as humans, provided they have the original person to provide a body-print. A duplicate of Harry is sent to retrieve the homing device. Sarah recognises that it is not him due to the lack of emotions. The creature is killed and the body disintegrates. The homing device sticks to the Doctor's hand, and he is almost killed by the Skarasen as it passes the village - the inhabitants having been gassed and temporarily put to sleep.

A tunnel is discovered between Forgill Castle and the alien spaceship. Sarah enters it and rescues Harry. The Doctor is captured. He learns from Broton, the Zygon leader, that their homeworld has been destroyed. They have sent a message to their fleet to come to Earth. Broton plans to have conquered the planet and terra-formed it to make it more suitable for his people. The fleet will take hundreds of years to arrive. The ship takes off when the Brigadier tries to depth-charge it. It heads south and, soon after, a large underwater object is spotted travelling down the North Sea. The ship lands outside London and Broton - in the guise of the Duke - departs for the city. The Doctor escapes and uses the radio system to broadcast their location to UNIT. He frees the real Duke, along with his ghillie and the oil company nurse, then sets the self-destruct system. The craft is destroyed. The Duke is head of the Scottish Energy Commission and is due to take part in an important conference at a Thames-side building. They realise Broton plans to destroy it using the Skarasen. He is killed by the Brigadier, and the Doctor throws the homing device to the Skarasen as it emerges from the river. It swims back to its home in the loch. Harry elects to remain behind, but Sarah accepts one more lift in the TARDIS.

This four part story was written by Robert Banks Stewart, and was broadcast between 30th August and 20th September, 1975. It marks the beginning of Season 13, but brings to an end a sequence of interconnected stories begun with the conclusion to Robot the year before. The story had originally been intended to close the previous season, which does seem to be where it should naturally fit.
This season sees Hinchcliffe and Holmes really get into their stride, no longer saddled with stories commissioned by the previous production team.
Whilst Robert Holmes wanted to retain Harry, in order to provide more sub-plot opportunities, Hinchcliffe felt he was surplus to requirements - and wanted the relationship between Tom and Lis built up - so had him written out. Ian Marter would make one further appearance in the programme - in a story directed by his creator (The Android Invasion).
The story would also prove to be Nicholas Courtney's last regular appearance as the Brigadier, as UNIT was being phased out.
Doctor Who had occasionally taken existing legends and given them a Sci-Fi spin - the Yeti being an obvious example. The idea of a Doctor Who explanation for the Loch Ness Monster seemed too good to pass up. The Skarasen works in the sequences where it pursues the Doctor across the moors, but the glove-puppet version at the story's climax is the only real failing of this production.

The Zygons make for one of the best Doctor Who monsters ever seen in the programme. Not only a brilliantly grotesque design (James Acheson), but  they have a fully realised culture and a number of attributes which makes it so surprising they were never used again. John Woodnutt (previously Hibbert in Spearhead From Space and the Draconian Emperor in Frontier In Space) plays the double role of Broton and the Duke of Forgill. It is a remarkable performance. Other guest performances worth noting are Lillias Walker as Nurse Lamont - and her Zygon duplicate - and Angus Lennie (The Ice Warriors) as the hotel landlord who has second-sight - but doesn't see his own fate.
Though filmed in the Home Counties, the story certainly feels like it could have been shot in Scotland, helped immeasurably by the  talents of director Douglas Camfield and by Geoffrey Burgon's wonderful incidental score. It is one of the series' best.
Episode endings are:

1. Sarah is talking on the phone to the Doctor from the oil company sick bay. She turns round and is confronted by a Zygon.
2. Broton has sent the Skarasen to destroy the Doctor, who cannot get rid of the homing device. The Doctor runs across the moor and falls, as the creature towers over him...
3. The depth charge attack fails as the spider-like Zygon spaceship emerges from the loch and disappears into the sky...
4. Sarah is going to return to UNIT HQ in the TARDIS, but Harry will be travelling by more conventional means.

Overall, a near perfect story. A few stories just miss perfection because of the inclusion of one element - the rat in Talons, the Magma Beast in Caves, anything with Colin Baker's costume - and sadly the Skarasen's final appearance lets this down right at the end. Apart from that, one of the best stories ever. I'm really looking forward to the Zygons' imminent return. Long overdue.
Things you might like to know:

• We know that the Zygons will feature prominently in the 50th Anniversary story - hopefully heralding a story of their own in Series 8 or 9. Steven Moffat has signposted their potential return a couple of times. They're mentioned - but not seen - as part of the Pandorica Alliance; and the Doctor's anniversary gift to Amy and Rory of a stay at the Savoy Hotel is marred by the fact that the hotel has been infiltrated by Zygon duplicates (The Power of Three).
• A Zygon was supposed to have appeared amongst the prisoners in Shada.
• Famously, this story prefigures Britain's first female Prime Minister. Nicholas Courtney ad-libbed that he was talking to a woman PM. Of course, it wasn't intended to be Mrs T. The PM in The Green Death had been Jeremy (possibly Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe) and the female PM in this was probably intended to be Shirley Williams.
• The second release for the VHS (the episodic one) featured an alternative prequel. The Doctor is at the cinema when he gets the message from the Brigadier (Tom Baker having presented the popular Disney Time just before this story was broadcast) instead of the message coming through at the end of Revenge of the Cybermen.
• A deleted scene is to be included in the forthcoming DVD release - featuring the TARDIS' arrival.
• It is implied that the Zygons are a very long-lived race. The earliest instance of the Loch Ness Monster being sighted is in a story regarding Saint Columba in 565 AD. He chased off a "water serpent" in the River Ness.
• Some people don't believe in the Loch Ness Monster. Probably the same people that think Elvis is dead.
• Never underestimate the power of organic crystalography.

Naff...

Laughed my head off when I saw this. Utterly naff. The latest DWM was supposed to feature a major free advertising feature - sorry, article - on this, but the announcement of the 12th Doctor intervened. The free advertising feature - sorry, article - has now been pushed back to the next DWM in September. Just shows DWM hadn't been told about the Capaldi announcement when the previous issue went to the printers.

Landmarks No.26

Logopolis.
The end of an era, as Tom Baker finally bows out after 7 years in the role of the Doctor.
It's the first story to properly feature the new Master - played by Anthony Ainley.
Nyssa becomes a companion - not just a guest character.
Tegan makes her first appearance.
Yes, the era of the over-crowded TARDIS begins here.
The TARDIS cloister room and its bell are introduced.
JNT gives us the first of the flashback sequences - allowing fans to see brief archive clips from the series within the narrative of the story.
Tom had played the Doctor for so long that it was hard to think of the programme going on without him. He is still synonymous with the role - his "look" being global shorthand for the Doctor to this day.
Ainley impresses from the first. He's not overused in this story - being an invisible presence for the first half. You can believe he is a new incarnation of the Master and not just being cast as a lookalike.
Nyssa also only features in the second half - brought to Logopolis by the mysterious Watcher.
Tegan is negative and argumentative from the outset - so we don't know if we are going to like her or not.
Knowing fans were starved of archive Doctor Who, JNT has the Doctor experience flashbacks of some of his recent enemies - and all of the Fourth's companions - as he prepares to meet his doom. Similar sequences will be included in Earthshock (previous Cyber encounters) and Mawdryn Undead (Brigadier adventures). All the companions bar Leela will feature in Resurrection of the Daleks.
There is a doom-laden feel to this adventure from the start. The Watcher is the second - and last to date - occasion where we see an intermediate stage in a regeneration (the first being Cho-Je / K'anpo). Barry Letts was involved with both.
After this story, Letts will not be associated with the TV programme again.