What's the best series of DW ever?

I would really recommend some of the audios, particularly the ones with Colin and with Paul McGann. The McGann audios crop up occasionally on the 7th Dimension slot on BBC Radio 7, and if you get a chance to listen, I guarantee you'll be hooked.

1 Season 7 (Pertwee)
2 Season 26 (McCoy)
3 Season 22 (Colin)
4 Season 16 (Tom)
5 Season 25 (McCoy)
6 Season 18 (Tom)
7 Season 14 (Tom)
8 Season 17 (Tom)
9 Season 15 (Tom)
10 Season 2 (Hartnell)

11 Season 20 (Davison)
12 Season 10 (Pertwee)
13 Season 19 (Davison)
14 Season 11 (Pertwee)
15 Season 31 aka SERIES 5(Smith)
16 Season 6 (Troughton)
17 Season 21 (Davison)
18 Season 12 (Tom)
19 Season 13 (Tom)
20 Season 8 (Pertwee)

For me, it is Season 7 by a long way! Just really enjoyed the style of the show that year! Must own up that I found the first two eps of season 8's `Terror of the Autons` such a personal let-down that I only became a regular viewer of the show again from the `Three Doctors` onward!

I only caught up with the rest of season 8 (and season 9) years later on getting `Ahem!!` bootleg video copies of these! Afraid I didn't rate what I missed that much really! I still find `Terror of the Autons` a personal `dud` on many levels!

Actually, having just watched the first seven episodes of the current series in preparation for its return next Saturday, I'd have to say it's giving the classic series a run for its money...

Getting a bit frustrated with how long its taking to get all Sylvs out. Really fancying a full marathon of his run(more or less, with 25 & 26 two of my alltime faves) but that's not possible with all of them not out till the end of next year!

Pretty irritating, especially given that Colin (whose run was a similar length) and Davison (whose run is virtually twice as long!) are all out for their fans to marathon if they want.

I know! I mean, it didn't take them long to get all of McGann's out either did it...er...waitaminute...

Supposedly, there's an 'Ace' box set in the works.

Yeah, I know, and GS is supposed to be out late next year, which will be all of them. Still a hell of a long wait though, especially when there's not that many to start with.

For some reason, it surprised me that you were a McCoy fan, cody. It never really registered before. I love S26 myself, and most of 25 (though I've never warmed to Greatest Show)...

lol I'm surprised, given that it and the Williams era are my joint faves! (I know how to make myself popular with "mainstream" fandom, as you can probably tell there lol).

GS is one of my all-time faves, haven't seen it for 8 1/2 years already.

codywillis1 wrote:
GS is one of my all-time faves, haven't seen it for 8 1/2 years already.

So...the more you like a story, the less often you watch it?

No, you daft beggar, my VHS is knackered and I've been waiting for the dvd!

codywillis1 wrote:No, you daft beggar, my VHS is knackered and I've been waiting for the dvd!

Ah. I made a point of picking up two spare VHS/DVD combis from Cash Converters several years ago, when I saw which way the wind was blowing...

lol I meant my VHS of Greatest Show, not my player.

Oh, the internet!

OK, now that it's over I have to say...season 32/nuseries 6 may not quite have won me over as the new 'best season ever', but it's easily in the top three!

Still season 7. Awesome stuff. Would have to go for seasons 17, 16 and 14 for Tom. Love that era so much. And season 2 is AMAZING in its scope and ambition.

Other favourites include 6, 22, 10 (def the best of the Letts years), 22, 25&26. 18 is an odd one - love the E-space Trilogy and Meglos is great fun, and I adore Tom and Lalla... but Traken and Logopolis are so boring and Leisure Hive is achingly dull and actually makes me angry to boot.

Of NuHu, 1 and 5 are the best, with an honorable mention for 3.

I think Meglos isprobably my least favourite story of S18. It's the only one I never have any desire to rewatch. On the other hand, I love Traken and Logopolis just because of the air of melancholy that pervades them both...

It's got a malevolent talking cactus as the villain. What's not to love?

codywillis1 wrote:It's got a malevolent talking cactus as the villain. What's not to love?

Well, for a start there's the fact that it's got a malevolent talking cactus as the villain...

Meglos is one of the DR Who shows I have `Never` yet watched.In fact I missed most of Season 18. I recently got the E.Space trilogy and have enjoyed them - especially `Warriors Gate` It may sound hypocritical coming from someone who has give up on todays show as I find them over-complex - but W.G was self contained and really got my attention.

I also finished the `Key to Time` set. Only the six part `Armageddon Factor` really failed for me. Too many corridoors and similar stuff. I really think it didn't have enough for six parts. Apologies if its anyone's fave!

Not my fave lol. Not bad, just not great, though John Woodvine is great. Love KTT. The E-space trilogy is rather special. In a way, it is much more the end of the Baker era than the last two stories (and a much better one).

Meglos is a lot of fun if you enjoy the sillier side of the show (which I certainly do lol). I'm frankly baffled by it managing to be made in season 18 though; Bidmead absolutely took the hatchet to Fisher's Leisure Hive, rewriting it completely and replacing all the jokes with technobabble, and then lets through a story about an evil alien cactus?!

I gather Meglos almost returned fairly recently (in The Lodger). A shame that idea never got off the drawing board.

Interesting Cody you mentioning Bidmead and the `Technobbabble` On the `State of Decay` extra's Terrance Dicks relates how he had big dispute with Bidmead who re-wrote `Decay` with `Technobabble` Dicks was incendiary about this and got full support from the Director who told JNT he `Would Not` film Bidmead's version! This is one of the few ocassions I agree with Terrance Dicks on a Dr Who subject.

Bidmead did sometimes let his love of technobabble get the better of him, but I still love his stuff for the most part. Except for the cactus.

Yes, I know about the dust up over Decay. Apparently Bidmead did a complete rewrite as he did with Leisure Hive. I do shudder to think what it would have been like (esp since Decay is a favourite of mine). Good for Peter Moffet is all I can say!

I don't know about Bidmead. Some of season 18 is great but I get the feeling that when it's the stuff I like it's more in spite of him than because of him (with the possible exception of Warriors Gate). His views on the series seem to be very narrow and his vision seems a very sterile and humourless one. Still, I had to admire him for being one of the few Who old timers brave enough to stick it to RTD in that infamous DWM interview lol! And he's had a few choice words for Moffat too on Twitter lol. I admire his candour and the fact that he clearly doesn't give a toss what anyone else thinks, but I can't say I'm disappointed he only did the one season.

Bidmead's DWM interview makes him beyond reproach in my opinion. Come to think of it, Letts and Dicks were less than enthusiastic about the RTD approach, weren't they?

I never heard about this interview. Do elaborate.

Neither have I, which issue is it in please? Is RTD Terrance Dicks?

Russell T Davies.

I think there's a word for word animated version of it on YouTube. Just look up Bidmead RTD it should take you there. Bidmead doesn't hold back LOL!

Russel T. Davies! Ah!! Cheers! Didn't he `throw a strop` when Prince Charles wouldn't do a guest cameo in an episode?

One of the seasons I wasn't keen on was season 22 - but to be fair, I didn't watch that much of it, so my views are based on not much evidence!

I know I thoroughly disliked Colin Bakers portrayal in the two episodes of `Twin Dilemma` and what I saw of him in the bits of season 22 that I did watch. Of course in season 23 I thought he was very impressive!

I am no fan of Eric Sawards writing. For me his is the "No One gets out of here alive!!" type of scripting which to me is little better than a `hack` (Apologies to Saward fans)

If folks here are fand of season 22 I fully respect their like and perhaps kind folks can tell me what they like of the season. Maybe i'm much too hard on it - as I said, i've judged it on little evidence and could be wrong.

I love Attack of the Cybermen and Revelation of the Daleks, personally. Certainly both dark and pretty nasty, but with a strain of jetblack humour I find very appealling. There's also some terrific guest performances and characters in both stories from the likes of Maurice Colbourne, Brian Glover, Michael Attwell, Clive Swift, Eleanor Bron, William Gaunt... wonderful stuff!

I do find Colin's acerbic, frequently obnoxious and full of himself Doctor far funnier and more entertaining than his rather bland predecessor myself too.

Very much with Cody on all of the above. Brian Glover as Griffiths is one of my favourite DW guest artists, for one thing-I wish Lytonn's gang had become recurring characters. .

"It'll be the old Bill. They'll soon sort out this fancy dress parade."

Great line. Though my favourite, for some reasion, is still "look, I'm finding this all a bit disturbing". It's just so wonderfully understated!

"You told me you came from Fulham."

codywillis1 wrote:"You told me you came from Fulham."

OK, admittedly that was a good one, too. Brian Glover: the best companion there never was...

What about "Timelash" & "Mark of the Rani"? how do they compare with those S22 stories mentioned?

I actually like Mark of the Rani. And while Time Lash is indeed Lame Sh*t, it's worth watching just for Paul Darrow's wonderfully arch performance.

I like 'Mark of the Rani'. Very enjoyable twaddle.

Mark is entertaining. One of the more lighthearted stories of the season. Timelash is pretty lame.

Interestingly, Character Options (who produce the Doctor Who action figures) have no less than three stories from S22 represented in their Forbidden Planet exclusives range: there's a Revelation box set featuring the sixth Doctor, Davros (with removable hand), white/gold Dalek and grey Dalek; Peri (in her Varos outfit) and Sil; and Peri (in pink) and damaged Cyberman from Attack. That's more releases connected with that one season than with any other in the classic series.