Classic Who Speedthrough: The 60s
A list of the Doctor Who stories (1963-1969) you HAVE to watch to have any clue what’s going on, plus a few recommended fan favorites (even if, for a few, the only fan in question is me).
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Wearing a Bit Thin
“Is that what Time Lords do? Lop a bit off, grow another one? You’re like worms.”
The Return of Doctor Mysterio
“The problem, and it’s a fatal one, is that nothing got ground up. There’s a slab of superhero sitting next to a strip of Who and it’s been sold as a sausage.”
Checking in
So yeah. It’s been a while. I’ve been watching loads of things, but not much that’s inspired me to take the time to write a full entry. Here are a few I remember offhand. Accatone: Eh. Even in Italian I can tell the acting can’t…
The Moffat > Chibnall regeneration
There’s a civilized discussion happening at Eruditorum Press about the showrunner change coming two years from now. Here’s what I wrote there: Not only has Chibnall never written an outstanding Who episode, but I have a hard time picturing him doing a charismatic, daring, innovative…
Doctor Who: “The Husbands of River Song”
This is the first time since “The Five Doctors” back in 1983 that my first viewing of a Doctor Who episode took place in a movie theater, surrounded by other fans. I watched “Day of the Doctor” and “Deep Breath” that way, but both were…
Doctor Who: “Hell Bent”
Even though “Hell Bent” is as unrepentantly sci-fi and literal as “Heaven Sent” is allegorical and rich with subtext, even though it’s as chaotic and messy and all over the place as its part 1 is focused and precise, I loved it. I don’t know…
Doctor Who: series 9 penultimate rankings
By tradition, before the finale, I rank the year’s episodes and discuss how my opinions of them have changed with hindsight. I’ll list them from my least to most favorite this time. 11. Sleep No More Mark Gatiss seems like a fun guy I’d probably…
Doctor Who: “Heaven Sent”
The Doctor has lost his best friend. His best friend has forbidden him to take out his anger and grief on anyone else. But he can still take it out on himself. There’s no mystery as to the subtext here. It’s a labyrinthine prison, containing…
Doctor Who: “Face the Raven”
One way to gauge the sturdiness of a work of fiction might be: if you know the big spoiler, can you still enjoy it? The longevity of Hamlet, Citizen Kane, and The Empire Strikes Back (to name just three) suggest that it’s certainly possible to…