British Comedy Guide

Doctor Who... Page 195

Aw, I liked Ace too.
I don't remember any of the others. Apart from a vague smidgeon of Adric.

I liked:

Sarah Jane
Leela
Harry Sullivan
Jamie
Ace
Romana II

Quote: Winterlight @ August 25 2008, 2:45 PM BST

I was quite moved when the Earthshock closing credits played silently over a picture of Adric's broken star.

It's a heart tugger, even if you're glad to see the back of the bowl haired git. Apparently all the other actors hated him too.

Quote: Winterlight @ August 25 2008, 2:46 PM BST

I always liked Harry Sullivan. He was a thoroughly good chap.

Yeah, he was good too.

Series 2 Billi Piper, when she went from being cheaky and funny to Bad Wolf.

Quite unbearably awful, worse characterization since Sisko started shouting.

Ace was a bloody nuisance and as bad as Langford for BBC school of shouting to show your mad (because this is Scifi and every one's mad innit).

Where's Aaron we've been talking about companions yet, and he hasn't fulminated about Martha yet.

Quote: zooo @ August 25 2008, 2:46 PM BST

Aw, I liked Ace too.
I don't remember any of the others. Apart from a vague smidgeon of Adric.

Ace was, well, ace. And she totally beat the crap out of a Dalek with a baseball bat.

Quote: Griff @ August 25 2008, 2:49 PM BST

Agree with Sooty, Ace was useless. Wicked innit Professor. Ugh.

Hey, it WAS the 80's!

Quote: sootyj @ August 25 2008, 2:48 PM BST

Ace was a bloody nuisance and as bad as Langford for BBC school of shouting to show your mad (because this is Scifi and every one's mad innit).

No way, Ace was tops. McCoy and Ace are my favourite ever combo. a really quite different Doctor/companion relationship too.Sure, Aldred may not be the greatest actress ever, but really, how many of the companions in the classic series were? The odd bit of dodgy acting was all part of the joy for me.

Edge of Darkness?

The Day of the Triffids.

Quote: Griff @ August 25 2008, 2:49 PM BST

Agree with Sooty, Ace was useless. Wicked innit Professor. Ugh.

It always amazes me how two people who consider themselves Doctor Who fans can have such different views, but then a show with so much history, actors, stories as this one means you can very easilly find someone who hates everything about the show that makes you love it!

But you're both wrong, Ace was great.

Quote: Griff @ August 25 2008, 2:56 PM BST

While we're chucking the companion abuse about, let's not forget

Image

:O You hate him too . .! He was great! And again, a very different kind of companion. what Who do you like Griff? Are you a Tom Baker bore?

Oh I love him!!!

(Turlough that is, not Tom.)

Quote: zooo @ August 25 2008, 3:01 PM BST

Oh I love him!!!

(Turlough that is, not Tom.)

Though clearly in no way young enough to be at school!

Turlough the angriest, gingerest most public school assistant ever.

He was one of the best, shouting, grumbling, thumping people.

Where all else were sacharine he was a refreshing shot of malt vinegar.

Sergeant Benton and the Brigadeir were ace.

I think you'll find that putting a mysterious grumpy man in school uniform is the best idea ever.

Quote: Griff @ August 25 2008, 3:05 PM BST

I prefer earlier Who to the later stuff. The first three Doctors, in particular, were such compelling performers that you can overlook the problems with sets, costumes and (rarely) scripts etc.

Tom Baker was awesome too, although in a way he wrecked the show, because sometime during his tenure it became "The Tom Baker Show", a pastiche of itself verging on parody, and never really recovered. And once John Nathan-Turner got his hands on it, it was f**ked for good.

To be fair, Hartnell could be as ropey as hell in some stories. I love the early stories, but he could be a bit shit really, sick or not. I'm probably more an eighties man just because it's what I grew up with; J N-T made a lot of bad decisions, but I don't think the percieved problems we're all his fault, a lot was down to the era and the way the BBC approached the production of shows back then, especially who. But I agree that he made some more than dodgy calls at times. You can't completely defend any man who would cast Bonnie langford, Ken Dodd and Hale and Pace!

Pertwee ones were seriously good and lively.

I was suprised of late to see that Hartnell ones were surprisingly innovative.

Midnight and Turn Left were probably two best episodes of last season.

And both used almost no special effects (and could have used none). Good acting, complex ideas, simple structure.

Not sodding Nazi Daleks and killer satnavs.

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