The Ninth Doctor

The Ninth incarnation is quite unlike any of the other Doctors, before him or even following him. Much less eccentric in character and in costume. Unlike Matt Smith he does not reference any characteristics of his former selves.

Here we see a Doctor that is often brooding and melancholic, but with occasional moments of sillyness. His character is deepened by having the guilt of being the only survivor of the Time War. To add to his mystery, we do not know if he has recently regenerated or not. The only subtle reference being, him commenting on his ears, as if he had never seen them before, in the season opener Rose.

But what was his greatest episode?

Do you prefer the Doctor’s return, who along with an old enemy, the Autons and the Nestene, which united him with Rose Tyler, who would become his saviour. Rose was a fast paced adventure which exploded back onto our screens back in April 2005, and which took the viewing public by storm.

Or do you like The End of the World, an adventure quite similar in tone to Curse of Peladon, which sees the Doctor first mention the legendary Time War.

The Unquiet Dead. A favourite of mine seeing the Doctor take Rose into the past to meet the great author Charles Dickens.

Maybe you like the silliness of The Aliens of London/World War Three. This episode is quite clearly aimed at a new, younger audience. It also sees Mickey grow as a character, something that seldom happened in the original series.

Dalek helped to restore the terror and magnificence of this iconic race of monsters back to their former glory.

The Long Game, set in year 200,000 aboard Satellite 5, a space station orbiting the Earth. The Doctor and Rose with Adam in tow, investigate an enclosed society of humans, controlled by the media, whilst Adam inadvertantly exploits the future for his own personal gain.

Do you like Father's Day, a story in which Rose Tyler tries to change the past to save her own Father, with quite disastrous consequences for the time line. Quite possibly the most emotional Doctor Who story ever written.

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances introduces us to Captain Jack Harkness in the first story written by Steven Moffat.  John Barrowman plays Captain Jack with an air of gusto and bravado. Is the story where everybody lives your favourite?

Boom Town sees the return of the Slitheen whilst the Doctor attempts to refuel the TARDIS.

Or is the Ninth Doctor’s finest hour his last in the season finale Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways?  An adventure which on it's original airing caused many a Doctor Who fan to gaze delightedly at the screen, especially at the en masse return of a certain arch enemy.

So it's up to you to decide, over on the Poll on the left.. What ever comes out on top will be chosen to watch on Saturday 6th August 2011. If a single episode story wins the poll then we will also watch the second most popular story as well.

So let us never forget Christopher Eccelston as the Ninth Doctor, his reign may have been a short one but he was one of the best actors ever to play the role.  It was also through his performances as the Doctor that the New Series of Doctor Who in 2005 instantly propelled the show to be a big hit again for the BBC.

A Very Special Doctor Who Bar USA: Sunday, July 31st

We will have a special Doctor Who Bar USA viewing on Sunday the 31st of July. In what will seem like a flashback for long-time Doctor Who viewers in the States, we'll do our screening on Sunday afternoon (when many PBS stations used to air Who back before the 2005 re-launch). We'll continue the flashback-theme by watching an episode many of us may have first seen on PBS during one of those Sunday afternoon broadcasts! The selection for this Sunday is an episode featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and Lis Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, "The Ark in Space."

"The Ark in Space" is the second serial to feature Tom Baker as the Doctor and the seventh story with Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. The Doctor takes Sarah Jane, along with British naval officer Dr. Harry Sullivan, far into Earth's future. They land on a space station known as the Ark, where survivors of the human race are in cryogenic sleep, waiting for the planet to be safe for occupation again. Unfortunately, the humans have mis-set their alarm and are waking up far later than originally planned. Even more unfortunately, they are no longer alone on their space station.

We'll assemble in the Bar beginning at 2:30 pm EDT and hit play at 3 pm (8 pm BST). The episodes are available from Netflix on both DVD and streaming. I hope you'll join us for this special viewing!

Sontaran Shenanigans

The Sontarans are undoubtedly one of Doctor Who's most memorable monsters.  Not as popular as the Daleks or the Cybermen, they are however one of the monsters who have returned to battle the Doctor through his regenerations.

The first Doctor to meet them was Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor in an adventure called The Time Warrior, in which a lone Sontaran is stranded on Earth during medieval times and is forced to kidnap scientists from Earths future in order to repair his crashed spaceship.

They next appeared in a two part adventure called The Sontaran Experiment in which another lone Sontaran Commander is conducting experiments on humans on the Earth of the future.  This time the Doctor was played by Tom Baker.

They were next seen in the last few episodes of an adventure called The Invasion of Time when the Doctor's home planet was briefly subjugated by a race called the Vardans.  Not everything is as it seems in this story, for although it looks as if the Doctor has turned traitor and is actually helping the invaders, he is actually setting the Vardans up in order to save Gallifrey.  However what he doesn't realise is that the Sontarans are actually allies of the Vardans in their attempt to take control of Gallifrey!  It was Tom Baker's Doctor again who had  to thwart both races attempts to seize control of his home planet.

Their next adventure was several incarnations later when the Sixth Doctor discovers his old companion Jamie on the deserted space station Camera whilst trying to visit his old friend Dastari.  The Sontarans have kidnapped the Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and Dastari is going to isolate the symbiotic nuclei of a Time Lord which allows them to control their time machines, the TARDIS.  Appropriately enough this adventure is called The Two Doctors, and marks the return of both Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines as the Doctor and Jamie to the series!

It wasn't until the show returned when the Sontarans next made an appearance in Doctor Who.  David Tennant's Tenth Doctor met them in a two parter: The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, when the Sontarans attempt to convert Earth into a breeding world for their clones, in which it is revealed that they are starting to lose their long war with the Rutans.

They have also cameoed in various other stories during the recent series, The End of Time part two, The Pandorica Opens, and more recently A Good Man Goes to War.

We have surely not seen the last of them!  Perhaps they will return in the second half of Matt Smiths second series?

The Rutan Host

Much of what we know of the Rutans, or as they are more properly known The Rutan Host, comes from the stories featuring the Sontarans. The two races have been in conflict for millions of years.

The Rutan Host appear to be a communistic race. They reproduce via binary fusion, creating identical duplicates. Though they refer to themselves as We, Us, and Our(s) they function independently. The Rutan hive mind is co-ordinated by a Queen who lives on their home planet Ruta III, without her influence the Host would collapse.

Their true appearance resembles a glowing green blob, much like a jelly fish with small tentacles. Being amphibious they can move easily through water. Though they seem to prefer colder climates but can also adapt to any terrain, moving up a cliff face or in the vacuum of space. They can generate bio-electrical power to shock their victims, who they can then morph into, using advanced shape shifting technology to assume the form of their prey.

The Doctor has only ever encountered the creatures once during his travels through time and space, and that was during the life of his fourth self. During the adventure Horror of Fang Rock he discovered that the creature which had infiltrated and murdered the inhabitants of a lighthouse was in fact a Rutan.

The Doctor himself once remarked that the Sontaran's and the Rutan's have been fighting for so long now that they've probably forgotten what started it!

However don't be fooled by a Rutan's natural appearance, they are a formidable enemy, a sentiment which every Sontaran would tell you. Rutan's tend to infiltrate other alien cultures, kill one of them and then assume it's identity. They are covert spies and have masterminded their technique over millennia.

Horror of Fang Rock on Wednesday Night

The story selected for this Wednesdays Session is the Tom Baker classic Horror of Fang Rock!

In this adventure the Doctor and Leela arrive near a lighthouse where strange goings on are happening.  Mysterious lights in the sky!  Mysterious noises, and people being found  dead!  Will the Doctor be able to help the residents of the lighthouse?  Or could the Doctor make a grave error of judgement?  Surely everything will turn out all right?

In an interesting twist in this adventure the baddie in this particular story is a Rutan, the arch enemy of the Doctor's other nemesis the Sontarans! Who we will also be watching on Saturday as our Weekend Poll will be called Sontaran Saturday!

However don't forget to tune in from 7pm on Wednesday Night to find out what exactly is going on, when we'll be pressing Play at 7.30pm to stay in synchronisation.  Make sure you have a drink at hand and any nibbles too.

Doctor Who Bar USA

Tonight at 7:01 pm EDT, "The Unquiet Dead."

The Doctor takes Rose Tyler to 1860 Naples, but they wind up in Cardiff in 1869 instead. There they discover that "the stiffs" are restless. It seems the dead at one funeral parlor aren't staying dead and it's up to the Doctor, Rose, and Charles Dickens to find out why! With the help of Gwyneth, can they save Cardiff from being over-run by the walking dead?

We will delay our start by 1 minute this evening in honor of those who lost their lives yesterday in Norway.

The Doctor Who Bar Needs You!

We here at the Doctor Who Bar like to think that our community is more that just watching the show, it's a celebration of it! But we could do with a little help to make this community and it's blogger site grow.

Would you like to write for us?

We are looking for reviews about your favourite stories, characters or merchandise. But like the show itself we like to keep it upbeat. Any negative opinions should be balanced.

The Sea Devils Tonight at 7.31pm

The Twitter viewing of Tonights Doctor Who Bar session will be delayed tonight by one minute.

This is because there will be a one minutes silence for those who have died recently.

We will press Play on our DVD or VCR equipment at 7.31pm NOT 7.30pm.

Silurians, Sea Devils or Eocenes?

They appeared in four major storylines, cameoed in a few via flashbacks or new footage, and perhaps even appeared in an episode of the fourth and last series of Blakes Seven!

Who are they?  Well they're the Silurians!  Their cousins the Sea Devils!  However the Third Doctor remarks at one point that their proper name should be the Eocenes.  Now Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor has got in on the act too with Homo Reptillia!!

Let's take a look at their history on the worlds favourite sci-fi series.

They first appeared way back in Doctor Who and the Silurians in 1970,  which was Jon Pertwee's first season as the Doctor.  The story was a seven parter and revolved around an experimental nuclear power research centre, which was experiencing mysterious power drains.  As well as a high level of people suffering from mental breakdowns.  UNIT was called in to investigate, whilst there a mysterious death occurs in the Caves system close to the research centre.  The victim looks to have been clawed to death by a mysterious creature.  However is there a traitor amongst the staff at the research centre?

Their second story was The Sea Devils, in this adventure the Doctor and Jo Grant are visiting the Doctor's arch enemy the Master, who was captured by UNIT at the close of The Daemons.  The Master is being held in captivity in a small island prison, but is he?  Or has he somehow duped the Prison's Governor into helping with some nefarious plan?

Their third adventure sees both the Silurians and Sea Devils together in Warriors of the Deep as they attempt to take over a Sea Base in their latest attempt to set man at each others throats!  They even unleash the dreaded Myrka!  A creature so terrifying it can electrocute you if you get too close to it!

Their last full story was in Matt Smith's first season, in episodes called The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood in which people are mysteriously being sucked into the Earth!  Their last appearance was in the last episode of the last series in which a female Silurian was briefly seen who had apparently eaten Jack the Ripper!! 

So dust down your DVD's or videos of the stories and get ready for some Silurian, Sea Devil Shenanigans later Tonight from 7pm.  Press Play at 7.30pm to keep everyone in synchronisation, and have some nibbles and a drink at hand as we enjoy our latest Twitter session.

The Flashing Blade Podcast 1-101 - Dr. Phill Covers the Music from Death Comes to Time

The beginning has a visit from...well...I was surprised too!

Download MP3 Version Pt.2

The Flashing Blade Podcast - The second part of our Death Comes To Time celebration as we're very lucky that Dr. Phill from Adventures In Time Space And Music got a little carried away and produced an entire show! Here part 1 of the Flashing Blade discussion on Death Comes to Time here.

GERMAN TEXTS READ BY GRAEME SHERIDAN OF THE 2ND DOCTOR'S PODCAST AND THE PROFESSOR HOW DOCTOR WHO PARODY PODCAST: Available on iTunes and on Talkshoe ID's 57949 for The2ndDoctors Podcast and 59601 for Professor How

RUSSIAN TEXTS READ BY GERIK FON-REVUTZKY AND IAN BISSET OF THE CULTDOM COLLECTIVE PODCAST: Available on iTunes and on Talkshoe ID 54821 for The Cultdom Collective Podcast

Wagner - Siegfried Trauermarsch from Act 3 of Götterdämmerung from his Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siegfrieds_funeral_march_and_finale.ogg The United States Marine Corps Band, recorded December 8–11, 1981 at Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University, Washington, DC, funeral march transcribed by Howard Bowlin and finale transcribed by John Bourgeois, who was the Band Director.

Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No.9 - IV. Allegro con fuoco -

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antonin_Dvorak_-_symphony_no._9_in_e_minor_%27from_the_new_world%27,_op._95_-_iv._allegro_con_fuoco.ogg Non-Commercial Recording - Performance by Columbia University Orchestra (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cuo/)

Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain Вечер накануне Ивана Купала, Vecher nakanune Ivana Kupala, St. John's Eve http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Modest_Mussorgsky_-_night_on_bald_mountain.ogg Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of Musopen

Death Comes to Time was released on triple CD (ISBN: 0 563 52823 0) and MP3-CD (ISBN: 0 563 52367 0) as part of the BBC Radio Collection.

AMAZON.COM - CD - Download

AMAZON.CO.UK - CD - MP3 CD - Download

Keep your eyes peeled on the Adventures in Time, Space and Music feed for more interesting things coming up! Subscribe to the MP3 feed here, and the iTunes AAC feed here.

ATSM - Episode 26 – The UNIT Files – The Doctor Who Restoration Team – Restoration of a Classic – Mark Ayres Interview

Download MP3 Version

Download AAC Version

In this episode we'll be focusing our attention on the work of the Doctor Who Restoration Team. With guest co-host David Hooie of the Hoo on Who Podcast. This episode will feature an interview with Doctor Who Restoration Team member Mark Ayres, recorded the 11th of June, 2011.

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ADVENTURES IN TIME, SPACE AND MUSIC IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE DOCTOR WHO PODCAST ALLIANCE: http://www.doctorwhopodcastalliance.org/

ABOUT OUR SERIES GUEST - MARK AYRES: Mark Ayres was born in London and educated in Tunbridge Wells (where he spent most of his childhood) and at the University of Keele (studying Film Music, Composition, and Electronic Music with Peter Dickinson, Roger Marsh, and the late Tim Souster), from where he graduated with a BSc (Hons.) in Music and Electronics.

While at school, Mark composed music for stage productions and amateur movies, formed a band with class-mates ("The Electric Ferrits" - sic!), and was an occasional flute player with the West Kent Youth Orchestra. At University he continued writing for theatrical productions and amateur film, and formed rock band Random Access.

In 1982, Mark joined Britain's fledgling independent Breakfast Television station TVam as a sound engineer. Over the subsequent 5 years he worked on a variety of programmes from Good Morning Britain to Roland Rat, as well as on secondment to companies such as Anglia Television, working as sound assistant on shows including Cover Her Face. He used the opportunity to make contacts and started writing jingles and idents for video productions and television programmes before finally going freelance as a composer and sound designer in 1987.

Since then he has provided incidental music for some of the UK's top drama shows including Rockcliffe's Babies, Casualty, and three full scores for Doctor Who. His work has been heard on documentaries and magazine series, and provides the signature for Japanese Satellite Television. An ongoing collaboration with Computer Artist William Latham has produced a number of acclaimed short films and CD-ROM's, and he has also contributed to the De Wolfe music library.

In 1995 Mark was hired as composer on director Scott Michell's first feature film, The Innocent Sleep (starring Michael Gambon, Rupert Graves, Annabella Sciorra, and Franco Nero), for which he provided a full orchestral score with solo voice performances by popular soprano Lesley Garrett. The soundtrack recording was recommended in the 1997 & 1998 editions of the Gramophone Film Music Good CD Guide.

As a composer, arranger, producer, or performer, Mark's name appears on over 100 Compact Disc releases, including many of Silva Screen Records' "Digital Film Scores" series.

Mark's versatility lies in his being able to switch from full orchestral scoring through arrangement and production to innovative electronic music realisation, sound design, and multimedia programming. He has recently scored a short children's film for Carlton Television and a satirical Current Affairs pilot for Channel Four. He is currently working on further albums for Silva Screen, various solo projects, and developing feature film and television ideas with Scott Michell.

He is married with two sons.

Mark Ayres is a member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, serving on the Media Music Executive and New Technologies Committees.

For more information on Mark Ayres and hiswork, visit http://www.markayres.co.uk/.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

The Doctor Who Restoration Team - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_Restoration_Team

The Doctor Who Restoration Team - http://www.restoration-team.co.uk/

Mark Ayres - http://www.markayres.co.uk/

Hoo on Who - http://www.hooonwho.com/

Stories Mentioned - An Unearthly Child - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Unearthly_Child
Stories Mentioned - An Unearthly Child - http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/beginningdvd.htm
Stories Mentioned - The Crusade - Richard the Lionheart - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crusade_(Doctor_Who)
Stories Mentioned - The Crusade - Richard the Lionheart - Lost in Time - http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/lostintime.htm
Stories Mentioned - Day of the Daleks - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Daleks
Stories Mentioned - Ghost Light - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Light_(Doctor_Who)
Stories Mentioned - Ghost Light - http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/ghost_light.htm
Stories Mentioned - The Leisure Hive - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_Hive
Stories Mentioned - The Leisure Hive - http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/leisure_hive.htm
Stories Mentioned - Planet of the Daleks - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Daleks
Stories Mentioned - Robots of Death - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots_of_Death
Stories Mentioned - Robots of Death - http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/robotsdvd.htm
Stories Mentioned - Terror of the Zygons - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_of_the_Zygons
Stories Mentioned - Tomb of the Cybermen - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Cybermen
Stories Mentioned - Tomb of the Cybermen - http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/tomb.htm

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If you would like to find out more about my other projects, specifically on viols, please visit thegambacast.org orviolsinourschools.org.

Podcast site is located at http://atsm.phillipwserna.com/
Email us at http://adventuresintimespaceandmusic.phillipwserna.com/contact
To follow us on Twitter, visit http://www.twitter.com/ATSMPodcast
To friend us on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/AdventuresinTimeSpaceandMusic
Support the show by donating or by visiting http://zazzle.com/ATSMPodcast

_____________________________

'Adventures in Time Space and Music' is not endorsed by the BBC in any way and is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Official Doctor Who site can be found athttp://bbc.co.uk/doctorwho.

Doctor Who, all associated logos, names and references to characters, vehicles and any other Doctor Who related items are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of the BBC, or their respective trademark and copyright holders.

All original content of this podcast, both musical and textual, is the intellectual property of the podcast - unless otherwise indicated. © Copyright 2011

Remembrance of the Daleks on Wednesday Night

The Seventh Doctor's only outing with the dreaded Daleks is the story which has been selected for the Mid-Week Session on Wednesday 20th July.

This adventure was first broadcast as the first story of the programme's Twenty Fifth Anniversary season.  In many ways it harks back to the very first adventure with William Hartnell as the Doctor as it is set in 1963, a mere month after the events of An Unearthly Child.

Writer Ben Aaronovitch wrote a cracking script which gives us some reference to the Time Lords, and perhaps to the Doctor's origins.  From the Daleks point of view, it sees them once again being played as scheming tacticians rather than just generic monsters.  One of their best Doctor Who stories, it was also their last as the original series departed production a year later in 1989.

This story is very much a Doctor Who and the Daleks story, right from the moment the pre-credit teaser starts.  There is a bit of back story later on which is nicely handled between the Doctor and his street wise companion Ace, played by Sophie Aldred in this her first proper story as the companion.

Sophie really settles into her role of Ace in this story.  Sylvester McCoy gives a brilliant performance as quite a manipulative Doctor in this adventure.  He feels so at ease in the role.

So dust down your VHS release of it, or grab your DVD, the original or the special edition and get ready to watch the Seventh Doctor and Ace stop everyone from getting killed by the Daleks, who are seeking to appropriate the Hand of Omega!  What's the Hand of Omega?  Tune in from 7pm on Wednesday Night to find out!  We'll be pressing Play at 7.30pm GMT, to keep everyone in synchronisation.

Saturday Night in the Bar

In the Poll opposite there are a few stories from Matt Smiths debut season.  The Lodger, Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone.

A solitary Patrick Troughton adventure, the classic Tomb of the Cybermen.  David Tennant's almost Doctor-less Blink adventure. Sylvester McCoy's debut story Time and the Rani, and Peter Davison's Frontios.

Which story will win the session?  Join us tomorrow at 6pm to find out.

Then get ready to join us from 7pm GMT, pressing Play at 7.30pm to stay in synchronisation.

See You All Soon in the Bar.

Warriors Gate Tonight From 7pm in the Bar

Tonights Doctor Who Bar has the somewhat controversial adventure Warriors Gate, as its session.

This adventure rounds off the E Space Trilogy, and also sees a departure for the TARDIS team.

Tom Baker is on fine form as he hops between the dimensions in this classic adventure.

Join us from 7pm, pressing Play at 7.30pm so we all stay in synchronisation.

Coming Soon - Death Comes to Time and the Minister of Chance

Check out the trailer for the newest journey for Adventures in Time, Space and Music as we'll be looking at Death Comes to Time and the Minister of Chance on the Flashing Blade Podcast (as well as our own feed in a few weeks) - including the vocal talents of Ian Bisset (The Cultdom Collective Podcast) and Graeme Sheridan (The 2nd Doctor's Podcast and Professor How)!

Listen to the Trailer

You can subscribe to the show via MP3 or iTunes AAC, and here are a few of the highlights thus far:

Nick Briggs (Big Finish Audios)
Dominic Glynn - Pt.I Pt.II
Toby Hadoke
Peter Howell - Pt.I Pt.II
Paddy Kingsland - Pt.I Pt.II Pt.III
Alistair Lock - Pt.I Pt.II
Gary Russell (Big Finish Gallifrey)
Louis Niebur Author of Special Sound (About the Radiophonic Workshop)

Robert Shearman (The Man is Bloody Brilliant)

Episode Topics (sans the 1st Doctor episodes from before):
The Ambassadors of Death
City of Death
Doctor Who: The Movie
The Key to Time - I - The Ribos Operation
The Key to Time - II - The Pirate Planet
The Key to Time - III - The Stones of Blood
The Key to Time - IV - The Androids of Tara
The Key to Time - V - The Power of Kroll
The Key to Time - VI - The Armageddon Factor
The Leisure Hive
Mark of the Rani
The Mysterious Planet and the Ultimate Foe
Spearhead from Space/ The Ambassadors of Death

Hope you enjoy the trailer and have an opportunity to check out the show, as our future shows will also be here at the Bar for you to taste. A sequence on Roger Limb's score to The Caves of Androzani is coming up soon as well...complete with an interview!

Phillip ('Dr. Phill,' @ATSMPodcast)

Doctor Who: Adventures in Time, Space and Music

Vote Ellis!

On the left we have put up a new poll in honour of one of our hard working team members, Ellis (APoliceBox) who's birthday it was on Sunday. He has chosen some of his favourite stories which you can vote from, for the session on Saturday 16th July.

E Space Wednesdays: Warriors Gate From 7pm

The final story in the E Space Trilogy Warriors Gate is the next session in the Bar on Wednesday Night.

Warriors Gate is written by Stephen Gallagher.

A slaver cargo vessel becomes trapped between the gateways between N Space and E Space.  One of the vessels slaves Biroc, a member of the Tharil race, flees the vessel on the Time Winds and ventures into the TARDIS which has also become trapped too!

The Captain of the vessel is very concerned at his vessels predicament, can he help his ship, or will he be given aid by an unsuspecting Time Traveller?

To find out join us all in the Doctor Who Bar on Wednesday Night from 7pm, pressing Play at 7.30pm to stay in sync.

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The New World Review

WARNING: This Article and some of it's comments may contain Spoilers

A New Series of Torchwood began last night on the American entertainment channel, Starz, and begins on Thursday 14th July 2011, at 9pm, BBC One in the UK.

This series revolves around one interesting story, one day no one dies, and the next day no one dies, and the next, and the next etc. Throughout the series Jack, Gwen and some new faces from across the pond, discover why Torchwood is a part of this mysterious global event and what the consequences of not dieing can make.

At the beginning of this first episode entitled The New World, we are directly introduced to Bill Pullman's character, Oswald Danes. Oswald is a convicted Child Killer and is facing execution. This scene is an incredibly dark and eery scene and you really get a sense that Oswald is a character you hate from the first step and when his execution sentence doesn't work and he stays alive, you know a bigger problem is occurring. 

Whilst coming across Torchwood, Esther Drummond (played by Alexa Havins) is another interesting character addition to this series. She is very involved with her work and is shown as a companion type character which could help later in the series. Whilst Alexa's character is talking to Rex Matheson (played by Mekhi Phifer) across a phone, he crashes his car and a metal pole shoots off a truck in front of him, through the windscreen and straight into his chest.

The next scene we are re-introduced to Gwen Cooper, with her husband Rhys Cooper and their baby daughter in a private home on the coast of Wales. As you can see from the preview clip below, Gwen and Rhys are summoned by a knock on the door...

Again we experience more of Esther's character as she enquires more deeply into the British Institute which is Torchwood - enter Captain Jack Harkness. He tells her: Torchwood Is Dead, to keep Gwen safe, to keep them away from any big events happening under them. But this time Torchwood was mysteriously called up and that's why Jack must wipe every trace of Torchwood before Gwen and Rhys experience another knock at their door. 

Later on in the episode, Jack uses the rather familiar name of Owen Harper to go under cover as an FBI recruit in the same hospital Rex is being kept in. In a large room sits a bomb explosive victim who tried to capture Captain Jack and Esther earlier on. although the victim is in pieces, he still lives. They cut off the head, he still lives!. I thought this scene was incredibly scary and gory and was in particular aimed at a much more adult audience. 

After discovering her father is ill, Gwen must go back to Cardiff and is reunited with Sgt. Andy Davidson. He and Gwen then discover the sheer mass of the miracle that has hit this world and discovers that in four months time the Human Race will be fighting for food...

And that's all you're getting! 

If our American followers have not seen Torchwood Miracle Day: The New World already, you can check it out on the Starz website. 

Torchwood Miracle Day: The New World airs Thursday 14th July, 9pm, BBC One In the UK.

Hartnell Era Doctor Who - In Musical Form!

To get everyone geared up for this week's Hartnell viewing, just thought I'd point you in the direction of a few Podcasts about the music of Hartnell's first series as the Doctor:

The Daleks & The Dalek Masterplan (Composer Tristram Cary)

An Unearthly Child, The Keys of Marinus and the Sensorites (Composer Norman Kay)

The Adventures in Time, Space and Music segment for Hoo on Who is out on The Aztecs and the Music of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and conductor Marcus Dods (will come out on our feed in a few months).

You can always find Adventures in Time, Space and Music in iTunes, and please pop by and rate us or leave a review if you like the programme.

Cheers and enjoy some great viewing of Hartnell era Doctor Who - the music is rather ground breaking!

Dr. Phill, Doctor Who: Adventures in Time, Space and Music

Next Time in the Bar

Saturday 9th July, 2011, is William Hartnell Night.

We'll be watching an adventure voted for by devotees of this very site.

So do the Daleks have an unfair advantage: The Daleks, The Dalek Invasion of Earth and The Chase are all on the Poll!

Could one of those Dalek stories win!  Or will The Web Planet or The War Machines surprise us all!

We'll find out very soon.

So get voting for some Black & White vintage Doctor Who!

So if you have the original VHS tucked away somewhere, dig it out!  Dust down your DVD copy and join us in the Bar at 7pm.   Get ready to press Play at 7.30pm to stay in synchronisation with everyone.

State of Decay on Wednesday Night at 7.10pm

There's been a slight alteration to Wednesday's schedule with State of Decay.  We'll be pressing Play at 7.10pm instead of 7.30pm to allow any of you who wish to join The Diogenes in their session at 9.00pm.

For lovers of Sherlock Holmes, don't miss any of the sessions of the Diogenes.  And of course for lovers of Doctor Who, don't miss the Bar on Wednesday Night!

State of Decay.

On Wednesday night we will continue the E Space trilogy with the superb vampire story State of Decay. Written by Terrance Dicks in 1977 it was originally known as The Vampire Mutations, but was withdrawn due to a big production of Count Dracula by the BBC that year.

My first encounter with this story was not by video, but by audio cassette (remember those?) Read by Tom Baker from the novelisation by Dicks. The talk of how vampire legends were past down “Cabbages and Kings/The TARDIS is on strings!” has stuck with me as one of my favourite quotes from the series.

The story caused clashes between the new production team who favourite hard science, and Hammer Horror-esqe fantasy which was more familiar to the previous producers and writers. But thankfully in the end it’s the fantasy element that wins out and makes this story special.

The magnificent costumes and make up, which the BBC is so good at is helped, unusually for Doctor Who, by dim lighting, which really does add much needed atmosphere to the story.

If Tom Baker seems quite morose during this story, as he does during the rest of this season, it was due to an illness that he contracted whilst filming "The Curse of King Tut's Tomb" earlier that year. He had lost a lot of weight and his hair flattened, so he had to have it permed every day, to achieve the Doctor’s familiar look.

If you don’t own a copy, in the UK you can watch via the BBC’s YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w17BEALiHU&feature=sh_e_sl&list=SL

or on MSN Video. http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/state-of-decay-episode-1/12gmmevpt

*DISCLAIMER* We do not support illegal downloads or streaming, unless they're from a site officially sanctioned by the BBC . We don’t wish to get in trouble with the BBC. We prefer to promote the official DVD’s as the restoration team do a fantastic job restoring the old adventures.

So if you have the DVD stacked on your shelf, the classic VHS tucked away in a box then be prepared for 7-30pm GMT. Have a drink and some food and get ready to join in with the @TheDoctorWhoBar from 7pm GMT. On Wednesday 6th July 2011. Remember to press Play on your DVD, VCR, or online at 7-30pm GMT so we can all stay in sync and discuss via Twitter.

Why Terror of the Autons is so much better than Spearhead From Space

Spearhead From Space is an enjoyable enough romp, but that's about it.  It's not really a gritty drama unlike Terror of the Autons which goes out of it's way to shock you.  Spearhead is also more light hearted and comical during it's first episodes, this is due in part to it being the first story of a new Doctor.  So naturally some of the scenes were played for laughs, not a wise decision to do something like that when you're trying to establish a new Doctor.  And Pertwee's performance is also a bit too comical in this story.

There's a complete contrast with Terror of the Autons, which is so much more serious and more dynamic than it's predecessor.  If anything marks down Terror it's some of it's visual effects.  Some of the interior CSO shots of the factory and Rex's Mother's house do jar quite badly.  Particularly now that the Restoration Team have got the picture so pinsharp, you can see just how in it's infancy the CSO effects were.

However despite the budget, Terror of the Autons is a good strong story.  It is notable for two series debuts, the late Roger Delgado excels in his role of the Master, a part he was born to play.  He also plays the part magnificently, when he pushes the technician off the ladder from the Satellite structure it is a very chilling moment.  Delgado imbues the story with a sense of twisted evil and rivalry against our hero, the Third Doctor.

The other debut is of course Katy Manning as Jo Grant, a rather ditzy character who is forever getting herself into scrapes.  She and series star Jon Pertwee would later develop a very good on-screen charisma with each other as the Third Doctor and his companion Jo Grant.

Terror is renowned for it's scenes of apparent everyday items coming alive and trying to kill you. A premise which perhaps was taken too far judging by the reactions to the story after it was first broadcast. Certainly it is a scary story but I certainly don't think they went too far.  If anything this adventure is a one off, and all for the better.  There hasn't been a story since which has used similar ideas within it's narrative structure.  It's certainly a better story than Spearhead From Space, and although many would say that the Master's change of mind at the end of the story felt a bit rushed, the story does hold up very well.

It's one of my favourites and all Doctor Who fans should have a copy of the Mannequin Mania boxset in their collection.

Why Spearhead from Space is so much better than Terror of the Autons

Terror of the Autons is one of those stories than I wished I had got on VHS. So I was pleased when it was released as part of the Mannequin Mania box set., as Terror was the first story to feature the Master.

There are some set pieces which I think work wonderfully well, such as Jo being hypnotised the Master. Though it was obvious what had happened to her from the moment she walked through the door, after being caught by the Master.

The plastic film over Jo’s face was quite terrifying, as was the chair enveloping poor Mr. McDermott.

But the story is quite slow, it just plods along, and has a very rushed ending. This is common with many of the stories from this era.

Whereas Spearhead has much in common with modern Doctor Who. It is very well paced and visually looks fantastic. Not just because of the fact it was shot on film (due to a strike at the BBC). All the effects are in camera, so there are no clunky video effects, no obvious CSO unlike Terror. Only the rubber octopus and Jon’s comical facial expressions let it down.

Pertwee gets into the role properly by episode two, after the now familiar post regeneration instability in the hospital. But Pertwee makes this scene comical. He takes a very laid back but serious stance in his new role as the Third Doctor which makes this particular adventure shine.

Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John provide very good support in this story. It is a good strong story which stands up well today, and apart from the dodgy octopus, it is without a doubt the better Auton story.

The scenes of the Autons rampaging the streets are so iconic and very scary. That's also why it's the better story, the later Autons in Terror just doesn't have the same menace.