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. 

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