DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 6th MEET-UP - THE SENSORITES

Sunday 16th March 2014

Another Sunday and we all met up around Mark's for our latest in a long line of Who-watching!

This meeting looked to be a good one - we were at the start of a brand new story and we were to watch this and this alone!
So once we all got our hello's and teas out of the way - the gang (including Mark's brother-in-law, Gavin) settled to watch "The Sensorites".

This was a six parter which I remember being quite good and creepy (especially the initial episode).

Photo 1: Gavin, Mark (holding DVD cover - eyes shut!),
Jason (with sign), Leigh and Jim posing around Mark's house.

The Doctor and chums find themselves on a spaceship with the crew apparently dead.  The Doctor decides there's nothing they can do and that it's none of their business so they shouldn't interfere (which I certainly laughed at!  The Doctor does nothing BUT interfere - if he didn't then the stories would be a lot shorter!) - however those sneaky aliens - the Sensorites decide to steal the Tardis lock and so it all begins!
 

Photo 2: Gavin, Mark (holding DVD cover - eyes shut!),
Jason (with sign), Leigh and Michael posing around Mark's house.

I did enjoy this story, the aliens were quite fun, as was the initial crew member driven insane!  Ian got poisoned, Susan got telepathy and Barbara disappeared for a few episodes and got a tan!

Photo 3: Gavin, Mark (holding DVD cover - eyes shut!),
Jason (also with eyes shut & with sign), Leigh and
Michael (with an orb!) posing around Mark's house.

I also loved the initial reveal of the aliens - the Doctor, Susan, Ian & Barbara look out of the Spaceship's window and, very slowly, a Sensorite silently rises into view.  For me this is one of the best reveals I've seen in all of Doctor Who and certainly added to the creepiness!

Photo 4: A FULL GROUP SHOT (thanks Alex)!
Gavin, Michael, Mark (holding DVD cover - eyes shut!),
Jason (with sign), Leigh and
Jim posing around Mark's house.

Mark: "I liked it.  It was the first story where the Doctor seemed to be in charge and knew what was going on."So overall it was a serial I enjoyed.  So I'm off until we meet up again.
Jim: "I liked it too. It seemed more of a complete, coherent serial than the previous ones".
Until then I shall return, yes, I shall return....

MJ 16-03-14

DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 5th MEET-UP - THE KEYS OF MARINUS PARTS 4-6 & THE AZTECS

Sunday 2nd March 2014

The next Who meeting was around Leigh's house - our first meeting there AND it completed the first cycle of house meet-ups!  I got there a little early and decided to walk once around the block - I'm usually late and don't want people to start thinking I've changed in my old age!!  Once we all got settled in with welcomes, teas (thanks for having Earl Grey Leigh!  Been a while since I'd had it!), general chit-chat and admirations of the GREAT birthday card I made Leigh (thank you!) - we settled down to watch the remaining episodes of The Keys Of Marinus - the Doctor & gang's quest to find, WELL, The Keys Of Marinus!  With the Doctor still missing (searching ahead for the keys on his own/William Hartnell having a holiday!) it was left to the other three to struggle in the freezing snow.

Photo 1: Michael, Mark (holding obligatory sign and with his eyes shut - as is the norm!),
Jim and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with the Keys Of Marinus DVD cover and obligatory sign.

Thankfully somebody seemed to find Barbara and "save" her - a huge "Hagrid" like man from the mountains!  He then finds the others and brings them safely to his hut.  Well, although nice at first, his true intentions start to become more sinister - especially when he sends the others off with a bag full of meat scraps (to attract some hungry wild wolves to the poor travellers)  and then, when left alone with Barbara, he becomes extra creepy!  Seemingly, having not had lady company for a while, he seems to attack Barbara!  Thankfully she's a feisty thing and gives him a nice walloping, just before the others come back (realising they'd been duped)!
 

Photo 2: Jason, Mark (eyes shut !), Jim and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with the Keys Of Marinus DVD cover and obligatory sign.

Anyhow I won't go all through all the plot - suffice to say they all have to climb across a tiny chasm, Hagrid falls to his death, they find the keys and meet up with the Doctor (Refreshed and on top form!) for the last episodes where Ian is framed for murder!

Photo 3: Michael, Mark (holding obligatory sign and with his eyes shut - as is the norm!),
Jim and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with the Keys Of Marinus DVD cover and obligatory sign.

Of course it all ends nicely and they end up getting back to the start to give the keys back to Arbitan (who of course has been murdered by the Rubber-suited Voord, Yartek!). However they do not know the old Keeper is dead and that Yartek is now in charge, clothed in Arbitan’s robes to maintain the ruse.  How could the not been fooled by his ingenious disguise?  Apart from the fact that his (now hooded) head has become square in shape - and you can see that his face is a rubber mask!

Anyway it all ends with the building blowing up, Yartek being killed, the keys being destroyed and the Doctor admitting "I don't believe that man was made to be controlled by machines".   Thus rendering the who quest a bit mute!  Still it was about the journey - and for me, it was a fun one!

Photo 4: Jason, Mark (eyes shut!), Jim and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with the Keys Of Marinus DVD cover and obligatory sign.

Jim: “I liked Keys. Good story and never got dull”.

Shaun: “I have to say, it's my second favourite so far (behind Edge of Destruction).  A classic quest, several new, interesting, diverse areas and a real threat to the people and the Who-crew.  Interestingly, Barbara was the only really competent member of the team.  Other than Ian's little flourish at the end with the fake key, Babs solved almost every problem.  It was really odd seeing her go bat-shit crazy and brutally kill those brain slug things with a pipe.
 
The threat was good, brainwashing on a grand scale, the new characters were good (love being a theme again), and I liked the villains' look.

It was long but never dull, changing styles/genres a few times.  Not a surprise to see Terry Nation in the writing credits.  Susan was nought but kidnap bait, as always.

Rapey Hagrid was a highlight”.

Photo 5: Michael, Mark (eyes shut!), Jim (also eyes shut!) and Leigh posing around Leigh's house with The Aztecs DVD cover and obligatory sign.

So after a quick break we went onto the next story - the four part historical story "The Aztecs".

Photo 6: Jason, Mark (eyes covered!), Jim and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with The Aztecs DVD cover and obligatory sign.

  

This was another historical adventure where the team get separated from the Tardis - which has been blocked off - and Barbara gets confused for a Goddess!  It's quite a fun story but Barbara does lose her mind a bit - thinking that she can stop the Aztecs and their human sacrifice ways!

 

Photo 7: Michael, Mark (eyes shut!), Jim and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with The Aztecs DVD cover and obligatory sign.

For me the highlights were the comedy of the Doctor accidentally getting engaged and the GLORIOUS villain, Tlotoxl, an actor who either had, or REALLY wanted to, play King Richard III!  He was a proper stage-villain!

 
Photo 8: Jason (eyes shut!), Mark (eyes shut!), Jim (great quizzical face!)
and Leigh posing around Leigh's house
with The Aztecs DVD cover and obligatory sign.

Shaun (playing catch up a few months later) said: "Okay, The Aztecs.  It was entertaining, but a bit too close to Marco Polo overall.  Maybe a few more eps between and I would have liked it more.  I liked the moral aspect to it, especially in the end.  Barbara again showing herself as the most competent.  They shouldn't have been tricked twice by the Aztecs omitting a name.  It felt repetitive. Shame The Doctor didn't take his fiancé along.  She was fun.  Acting was pretty solid throughout, and the main baddy priest kept reminding me of Jafar from Aladdin, and that made me smile.  I was hoping for an evil song.
As always, remember that my thoughts are inconsequential, as we have The Book to tell what we really think".

So all in all a good story - and Ian even got to have a slo-motion fight!  So that's all from me now - we're not sure when we're meeting next but, as always, Until then I shall return, yes, I shall return....

MJ 04-03-14