Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors Review

Doctor Who:
The Ice Warriors
By Brian Hayles

“Don't you understand? They're ruthless killers and they'll stop at nothing. Now please, listen to me. There's no time to lose.”

The TARDIS lands, more likes crashes, near Brittanicus Base.  Brittanicus Base is on an island near Great Britain and its job is to keep the glacier at bay by using the ioniser.  In the future Earth is facing a second ice age and bases using ionisers are what they have to try and keep the ice away to survive.  The Doctor Jamie and Victoria have stumbled upon the base in time to help them out with a problem with the ionizer.  By doing this The Doctor has gained the trust of Clent who is in charge of the base. 

Into The Time Vortex Archive Interview - Deborah Watling of Doctor Who

The Following is an interview with Deborah Watling that took place in 2014 and Long Island Who Convention.  In memory of Deborah Watling here is that interview.

Doctor Who Companion Deborah Watling has died.

Deborah Watling who played Victoria Waterfield during the Patrick Troughton era during season 5 has passed away after a short battle with lung cancer at the age of 69.  Sadly there are only two of her stories that are complete (The Tomb of the Cybermen and The Enemy of the World) while two others are missing a few epiosdes and have been released with animation and telesnap reconstructions (The Web of Fear and The Ice Warriors).  She also returned to the role of Victoria in 1995's Downtime which is out now on DVD.  She has been a staple of the Doctor Who convention scene and her panels were wonderful to attend as she regaled us all in her stories of her time on the show with Patrick Troughton  and Frazer Hines.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40684318?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=twitter

 http://ew.com/tv/2017/07/21/deborah-watling-dies-doctor-who-companion-dead/

Doctor Who - The Tomb of the Cybermen Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:
The Tomb of the Cybermen
By Kit Pedler and
Gerry Davis

“Oh yes, I can when I want to. And that's the point, really. I have to really want to, to bring them back in front of my eyes. The rest of the time they sleep in my mind, and I forget. And so will you. Oh yes, you will. You'll find there's so much else to think about. So remember, our lives are different to anybody else's. That's the exciting thing. There's nobody in the universe can do what we're doing. You must get some sleep and let this poor old man stay awake.”

The Tomb of the Cybermen is the earliest complete story to survive featuring Patrick Troughton.  It was found in Hong Kong back in 1991 and was until The Enemy of the World was found with The Web of Fear (minus ep 3) the only complete story from Season 5 of Doctor Who.  The Tomb of the Cybermen opens up Season 5 and also brings back The Cybermen yet again last seen in The Moonbase (which is out on DVD with animated missing episodes 1 &3).  What is a pretty cool side bar for Season 5 is that it is known as The Season of Monsters.  The Cybermen start off the Season of Monsters in The Tomb of the Cybermen and also finishes it with the Cybermen returning in The Wheel in Space.   So in essence Season 5 is bookend with Cybermen stories.

I remember when this story was found back in 1991 and was really excited to see this story as I had read the Target novelization way back in the 80’s and enjoyed it.  So when the VHS copy of the story was finally released in the US in 1992 I headed for the video store right after my college course was over for the day to purchase it and watch it that day and well the studies took a  back seat to my parents dismay.  Well there wasn’t a test to study for so the homework could wait an hour or two.

Doctor Who - Details on the Second Doctor Box Set

Out this month is the Second Doctor Volume One.  It is a box set of four stories taking place during the Patrick Troughton era.  This is similar to the First Doctor box set that cam out last year.  You can order it from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-second-doctor-volume-01-1329

A new four-disc release featuring four tales from figures associated with the Second Doctor era, and a second actor.

10.1 The Mouthless Dead by John Pritchard
The TARDIS arrives in 1920s England, the Doctor, Jamie, Ben and Polly finding themselves in a wintry dusk beside a railway line. The station nearby appears deserted, but there are figures watching from the shadows, all of them waiting for a dead man’s train...

10.2 The Story of Extinction by Ian Atkins
Civilisations rise and fall – and few planets have seen this happen more often than Amyrndaa. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria join a survey team to find out why on the planet where everything is suited to creating life, nothing lives for long...

10.3 The Integral by David Bartlett
When tempers fray in the TARDIS, the Doctor struggles to help Jamie and Zoe resolve their differences. Arriving at Aspen Base proves a welcome distraction; but the isolated facility is under siege. Can Jamie’s belief in right and wrong withstand the perspective changing power of the Integral?

10.4 The Edge by Rob Nisbet
The Edge is the galaxy’s scientific hub of experimentation, theoretical breakthroughs and invention – just the sort of place to interest the Doctor and Zoe. However, a secret lies hidden in The Edge laboratories. Jamie instinctively knows that something is wrong, and it doesn’t take long for him to be proved right....

Written By: John Pritchard, Ian Atkins, David Bartlett, Rob Nisbet
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie), Anneke Wills (Polly), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Elliot Chapman (Ben), Robert Whitelock (Curtis)

Producer Ian Atkins
Script Editor Jacqueline Rayner
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Synopsis For The Black Hole

This month's Early Adventures sees The Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria on a research station near a black hole. You can order this release, which also stars Rufus Hound who was in The Woman Who Lived, from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-black-hole-1078

On a research station near a black hole, time keeps standing still. Investigating the phenomenon, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria discover a power far greater than any of the monsters that have challenged them on their travels... The Doctor's own people.

With the safety of thousands balancing out the need to flee, and a policeman from his home planet working at his side, the Doctor reluctantly finds himself involved in a race against time.

But nothing is ever as simple as it appears. And if you can use the Doctor's compassion against him, you have the makings of a perfect trap…

Written By: Simon Guerrier
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield), Rufus Hound (Constable Pavo), Janet Dibley (Commander Flail), Anthony Keetch (The Seeth). Narrated by David Warner.

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Big Finish Announces Early Adventures Series 2 and Beyond

The second series of The Early Adventures will feature all the companions from the second Doctor era including a new actor to play Ben who was originally played by the late Michael Craze.  Frazer Hines will be in all four stories of series two as he will be playing both Jamie and the Second Doctor. Reprising their roles will be Anneke Wills as Polly, Deborah Watling as Victoria and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.  Elliot Chapman will be joining the TARDIS crew as the new voice of Ben.

Big Finish has announced that Series Three,Four and Five have gone on sale for pre order along with Series Two. The First Doctor Companions will be back in 2016 in Series 3.  That is good news for fans of the 60's era of Doctor Who as we will be getting 16 Adventures from the black and white era.
Below is a synopsis for the upcoming Series 2 which comes out in September.

The Yes Men 
By Simon Guerrier

Doctor Who L.I.Who Convention Interviews

Colin Baker, Deborah Watling, Fraser Hines, Nicola Bryant and Terrance Dicks are interviewed by Jeffrey Zyra.

Thanks to Andre Tessier and Ken Deep!

Doctor Who - Deborah Watling Added To L.I Who 2 Guest List

Deborah Watling who played Victoria has been added to L.I Who 2 every growing guest list. She joins 2nd Doctor companions Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury along with 5th and 6th Doctor companion Nicola Bryant and the 8th Doctor himself Paul McGann.  The guest list is growing as they also announced author Deborah Stanish also who is responsible for Chicks Unravel Time: Women's Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who.  Weekend Tickets will be going up in price so head over to the convention site at the link below. 
http://longislanddoctorwho.com/

Deborah and Fraser with New Doctor Who Magazine Covers

Frazer Hines (@WhoFrazer) & Deborah Watling, alias Jamie & Victoria, already have their new issue of DWM! #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/BFlMgPZHCp

•  Reply 
•  Retweet 
•  Favorite 

Deborah Watling and Fraser Hines to Launch Found Episodes on Thursday

Between 3:30 - 7pm in the UK Deborah Watling (Victoria) and Fraser Hines (Jamie) will be on hand to help with the press conference and the launch of the newly found episodes of Doctor Who.  It has been reported that a number of episodes were found and that two Patrick Troughton stories will be made available online on Thursday.

http://www.deborahwatling.net/News/index.htm

Doctor Who: The Era of Monsters Part One By @Paul_Bowler

Dr Who: The Era of Monsters
By Paul Bowler


When William Hartnell transformed into Patrick Troughton during the final episode of The Tenth Planet (1966), a nation held its breath as a new Doctor emerged from a gleaming halo of light to whisk his companions Ben (Michael Craze) and Polly (Anneke Wills) away to the planet Vulcan, and their first encounter with the Doctor’s ach enemies - the Daleks! If any had doubted that the popular character actor, who was a master at utilizing costumes and make up to great effect (gaining him many staring roles during the 50’s & 60’s), would be able to make the transition of Doctor Who’s leading actor a success; their doubts must have been quickly dispelled as they became enthralled by the new Doctor who emerged from the TARDIS in Power of the Daleks.

As Doctor Who’s fourth season continued apace, Patrick Troughton’s impish “cosmic hobo” would become imprinted on the minds of children and adults for generations to come, battling evil and tyranny from every dark corner of the universe. This “renewed” Doctor was strikingly different to Hartnell’s grandfatherly wanderer of the fourth dimension; Troughton was more like a chaotic Charlie Chaplin. He may have acted like a bumbling fool who happily played his recorder, with his crumpled frock coat, baggy trousers, and a penchant for outrageous hats, but the fearsome intellect within was never far from the surface and nearly always one step ahead of his enemies.