Dr Who Review, Part 8 - The Sylvester McCoy Era
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- The eighth episode in my ongoing series of reviews, with analysis, of the BBC science-fiction show, Doctor Who.
In this part, the era of the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, is considered. We look at how producer, John Nathan-Turner, was forced to undertake the unpleasant task of replacing the lead and how he came to choose the eccentric McCoy for the role. The pressure of TV execs and protest groups to tone down the show's violent excesses and how this led to a rather tame and camp version of what went before is looked at before we consider how the show finally regained its stride, producing some of the best ever episodes before its untimely demise.
Chapter Selection:
0:00 THAT phone call (reconstruction)
1:28 JNT, Dr Who and the BBC
2:48 The end of the Sixth Doctor
6:13 A troubled genesis
7:12 Casting the Seventh Doctor
8:31 Sylvester McCoy
11:51 The regeneration
13:25 The Seventh Doctor
18:54 Season 24
21:24 Mel Bush
23:55 Ace
25:46 Remembrance of the Daleks
28:17 Time's Champion
31:19 Ben Aaronovitch and the subtext
34:27 Emotional depth
36:40 The Kandyman
37:45 A drop in viewers
40:11 The Curse of Fenric
42:40 An early story-arc
44:46 Farewell... for now
Extract from 'This is Colin Baker' by Big Finish Productions. The full audiobook can be purchased here: www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/...
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This is for the purposes of entertainment and education. Doctor Who is owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Any other audio visual material is copyright to the respective owners.
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As McCoy himself once said, it felt like they were just about to strike gold. The scriptwriting, the acting, the effects, everything was coming together and it's a shame it ended just when it got really exciting
McCoy’s era COULDVE rivalled Tom and Jon’s eras.
Completely agreed
Sorry i hated mcCoys era no wonder bbc pullled the plug on it
Sylvester McCoy was the best doctor if you disagree you are completely entitled to your opinion (even if it is entirely wrong in every way).
I don't know about best but for me he's top 5 loved his at times sinister undertone
absolutely loves the continuity added to Remembrance Of The Daleks in which Ace picks up the book on the French Revolution that Susan had put down in the classroom in the very first Doctor Who episode from 1963, indicating that this 7th Doctor scene occurs immediately after the one in that first story.
Marq See; have you ever realised that Peter Capaldi´s first scene as the Doctor in the 50th specilal took place right before his last regeneration scene?
@@kennethnystrom593 no his hair colour is the colour of series 8 capaldi and it looks like series 8s hair as well, it happened sometime when he went looking for gallifrey or disapeared in the tardis before coming back for Clara at the end of deep breath
@@TheRealUnkn0wn_289 I see what you are getting at; but I still have to say that hair colour vs a logical reason to why the TARDIS threw out JW (due to the TARDIS actully dying; due to Rassilons ascention device wave hitting it) thus also explaining the entire Ghost monument / planet they found the TARDIS on. (it would also explain why PC smashed the TARDIS consol in end of series 8; as he actully found Gallifrey at Missy´s coordinates; but at a time after it had been "unfrozen" and had begun/ become terraformed by Rassilons ascention wave) and thus becoming an planet we already know from the show.
Trenzalore.
and it would also explain how and why Rassilon had died (in end of series 9) before meeting the Doctor again only moments after last having seen him (as Timoty Dalton) (he ascended while in transit thru the void; during PC last speech)
(with the rest of those present at the Gallifreyan high counsil; (including the dying Master) = Missy (and the rest of those present at the Gallifreyan high counsil are ascended beings from within the void between the classic and new Universe... aka they are the new Guardians over time...aka Rassilon is the new Celestial Toymaker...aka Missy is...The new Black Guardian ...aka the Doctors sister/wife/companion/fellow Timelady yet again became a god (small g) for the 2nd time in the show.
@@kennethnystrom593 naw, he goes to save Gallifrey in his first episode, right after dealing with the robots and right before he appeared back to Clara
And supposedly close to when the Doctor butted heads with Maestro.
Geez, that was an eventful week.
I feel each year McCoy gets more and more the appreciation he deserves. Last two seasons are fantastic
rememberance of the daleks us my 2nd favourite dr who story of all time and the 1st dvd i bought
Then why did DW end?
@@vario6492because of Johnathan Powell? And Michael Grade?
@@vario6492learly you didn’t watch this documentary?
@@vario6492🤣 did you miss the last few minutes of the vid? it was stated that the site was objectively headed uphill again but that folks at the top axed it because they personally just didn't like it
Two fun facts that conflate in possibly much more interesting fun fact:
Fact 1:
Queen Elisabeth II is a fan of Doctor Who.
Fact 2:
Michael Grade is the only chairman of BBC, who hasn't been knighted to this day.
Go figure why...
At least he didn't get jailed or sentenced to death like the ancient England.
He hasn't been knighted because he's a Doctor Who hating a*sehole!! That's why!
Lol good one
@Terry White that's a bit to clever for me but I think it could be funny
A bit difficult for a member of the House of Lords to downgrade to a knighthood. Another fun fact is that the guy in the dark sunglasses in the 'holiday camp' series was Brian Hibbard of 'Flying Pickets' fame.
Funny, I always think of McCoy as being one of the "older" Doctors. Surprised to see he was only 43 when he started.
43 is actually just a bit older than average I think. Colin and Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith were all younger when they started
@@stardustnation2480 nah, McCoy was pretty much in the average DW age, out of 13 actors who played the Doctor 5 were in their early 40s (Troughton, Bakers, McCoy, Eccleston), 3 in their mid/late 30s (McGann, Tennant, Whittaker), 3 in their 50s (Hartnell, Pertwee, Capaldi), the youngest were Davison at 30 and Smith at 27
He was only 43?!.....Argh I’m Doomed! :D
@@mina0653 eccleston was in his 40s?!!!
could've fooled me I thought he was in his early 30s
@@lexezlao lol
It is a bit sad that Colin Baker wasn't given a fair crack of the whip because Colin apparently wanted to commit long term to the part and even wanted to break Tom Bakers record which is a shame that never happened because his Costume would have changed over time.
Thank you Colin Baker for your time on Doctor Who even though it was far too short.
It is, but Baker got more time than poor Paul McGann, and even Chris Eccleston, although the latter was by choice (Apparently. It's a bit unclear).
Well, he did break a record to be fair
@@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs.Paul McGann was the doctor in the audio dramas for quite some time plus comics.
How do we know his costume would have changed? The only reason Tom Baker's costume changed was because of Jonathan Nathan Turner entering, the same man who gave Colin Baker his costume.
Sylvester macoy was a much better Docter in my opinion
“... his enrolment at Demun Grammar School brought him into contact with female pupils, and he quickly left his priestly aspirations”.
Sylvester, you sly devil. 😂
You can’t have “Sylvester” without “Syl” 😂
I love Sylvester McCoy. Probably my second favorite classic Doctor right after Tom Baker. He really pulled off the idea that his outward silly appearance was just a mask hiding the most dangerous and cunning mind in the whole universe. And it’s a shame things were going down to the toilet behind the scenes during his era. Just imagine what we could have had if he had gotten more seasons and if Cartmel had actually gotten to follow through on his plan for his backstory.
Rather no backstory thank you
the worst dr for me
It’s strange how many doctors originally wanted to be priests
Father who?
Another coincidence: Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were all ex-navy men. The first two saw active service in the Royal Navy during World War II, and Tom Baker served part of his national service in the Merchant Navy.
ftumschk then fighting in world war 2 makes sense considering conscription
@@brendanmccabe8373 Indeed. Mind you, I wasn't suggesting they were "vocational" sailors :)
The strangest coincidence for me is how every doctor was an actor
Simply put, McCoy was the first 'modern' Doctor as well as the last 'classic'. However, it took a season for it to start happening, namely through the introduction of Ace, and then leaning towards delicate sub-texts, a darker and more manipulative Doctor, complex themes mirroring reality, a troubled teenage companion with a progressing arc about growing up, all tied together in a more 'family entertainment' way, not just 'light entertainment' (like S24). The problem was - the damage had already been done. Dedicated fans already had the lowest expectations, and the shows budget and overall look wasn't enough to attract fresh blood. Despite this - McCoy & Sophie remain my favourite TARDIS team of all time.
If you've seen Modern Who - particularly the 9th, 10th and 11th Doc - you'll see a lot of similarities to McCoy's era, which laid the foundation for the revival (rather than simply being "The Time When Classic Who Ended").
So true . The last 2 seasons were excellent . Just re watching them on the blue ray box set . These episodes rate right up there for me . Battlefield ghost light curse of fenric survival physic circus rembrance of the daleks . Just fantastic .
While I think the writing for McCoy's era was definitely the most modern by that point, I think the 5th Doctor of Davison is still the most modern Doctor in terms of character of that classic era. He brought a humanity and personableness to the role that Tennant and Smith later exemplified, you can tell they both lifted a lot from Five.
he was both.
Very nicely put. I loved the expansion of his Doctor in the Virgin books too.
All done to Andrew Cartmel's influence alongside Sylvester :)
The McCoy era was when I first started watching Doctor Who and... it was terrifying to me as a kid. Terrifying and compelling at the same time. The Curse of Fenric in particular was a highlight, but the most memorable moment for me will always be the Dalek going up the stairs, and that mortified look on the Doctors face when the episode ends. Gave me nightmares, but it showed something I feel is missing from modern Who: Namely that if the characters don't take a threat seriously, how is the audience supposed to?
Curse of Fenric is still my No.1 Doctor Who story to this day. It's basically 100minutes of slow-burning horror - almost Lovecraftian - but it also continues to deal with Ace and 7's complex dynamic. It's essentially Ace's coming of age story. Once you get to Survival, she explores her past a bit more, but it's no longer controlling her like it used to. A very subtle and underappreciated element of the era.
I love the dynamic range of McCoys doctor. He has some of both the silliest and darkest moments in al the classic series wile still feeling like single solid character. It’s a big part of modern who (particularly 11) that’s really based on 7
Just goes to show that Sylvester McCoy's a better actor than Peter Capaldi, who flip-flopped between the Valeyard, an overcompensating fanboy, and occasionally the Doctor. On paper, Capaldi should have been at least as good as McCoy, if not better. In practice, he had no idea what he was doing because he's a fanboy first and an actor second. That can work if you have somebody as talented as David Tennant but Peter Capaldi isn't even in the same ballpark.
The single greatest image ever put to celluloid.
Was the face the doctor had when he saw the dalek come up the stairs at the end of episode one
Only Imperial Daleks are allowed to ascend staircases. Common-or-garden Daleks had to make do with a kind of electronic magic carpet disc-shaped device to stand on as seen when chasing the Doctor and two or three Thals up the chimney on Spirodon in parts 3 - 4 of Planet of the Daleks.
Wait,you can take out an Imperial Dalek's eye stalk with a baseball bat? Think I'll remember that,just in case,you never know...
Ralph Jackson well to be fair, that baseball bat was enhanced by Galifreyan tech.
"Great space alien death machine, defeated by a flight of stairs-- what the hell?"
Could you imagine that was the ending to anything else, like the ending to Empire Strikes Back, just Darth Vader walks up the stairs and credits.
@@samuelbarber6177 I mean… Robocop’s ED-209 was bested by a flight of stairs
Sylvester's take on the roll was absolutely perfect and never got the acknowledgement it deserved
cause it was the most terrible of all the series, and we the majority are the ones that said this ...no thanks
Twanki Stevenson Sylvester McCoy rocked!!!
Thank god for Big Finish for the task of giving McCoy the chance he deserved to have on screen, him and Colin got the proper treatment from Big Finish
Twanki Stevenson
Correct ! Love it !
Tracey Woolridge
He's THE DOCTOR.
to be honest I feel quite bad for John Nathan Turner, it’s true that he definitely made some questionable decisions that hurt the show, but it nevertheless feels like the degree of his responsibility for the show’s decline has been greatly overstated, with many of the problems being out of his control, and given the extent of his love for and involvement in the show it must of hurt to be credited with everything wrong with the show
I blame Michael Grade more than John Nathan-Turner. Nathan-Turner was an eccentric artist. Grade was a corporate scumbag.
No. JNT is an idiot and a narcissist. It's pretty much all on his shoulders, and he had NOT capability to make a decent show. See Dunning Kruger.
Must HAVE.
The fans of the period, my self included, were often a bit emotionally stunted. That could manifest itself in a lack in understanding of social nuances and often selfishly muted empathy.
Some eps are just horrible....so childish.... Which eps ,in your opinion are good ?
To this day, at 47 years of age, I remember the gut punch I felt when I read in the brand new 'TV Guide' that DOCTOR WHO would end with the upcoming SURVIVAL. After ten years of growing up with the show, it felt like losing a family member.
Skip to 16 years later...and joy returned....
It came out of nowhere the best time to have one of the videos come out
Colin wanted a full final season. They never called him back. Such a shame, really.
I love the Seventh Doctor era and find it to very underated. I love the Seventh Doctor and Ace and it has some fantastic stories like Remembrance of the Daleks, the Happiness Patrol, the Curse of Feneric and Survival.
Tardis Net
Love it love it
Love Sylvester doctor. Love Ace. Great stuff. Fantastic !
Tardis Net my first doctor watching re runs as a middle schooler in USA
"Bonnie Langford who specialises in screams that can match the key of the closing music" ahahaha
Yeah that was SO funny!
I discovered this series about a week ago and was blown away at it's high quality. Fantastic job man, keep it up.
It's a wonderful primer for those of us who for whatever reason don't feel like slogging through decades of older shows, even when they are available. As one who "discovered" the show during the late Tom Baker era, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. 🙂
I hope this doesn’t get taken down, absolutely love this series!
Always felt that Sylvester McCoy was never given enough credit as the Doctor. "Remembrance of the Daleks", "the Curse of Fenric" and "Ghost light" are as good as any other classic Doctor Who stories and both he and Sophie Aldred were great in their roles.
He's freakin brilliant. I actually forget how much I love him sometimes
McCoy's Doctor and Aldred's Ace were my children's favorites when we were watching the reruns on Saturday night on the local US PBS affiliate in the 1990s. It's easy to see why, in retrospect. They brought a new energy and animation and chemistry, and the look of the show was a bit more up to date for my kids' expectations.
These must take you so long to make - but I'm loving this series! Each episode is so interesting and well-researched. I can't wait for the next video!
Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying them. They do take me a while but it truly is a labour of love.
I. Love. This.... Loved them all!
This is one of the most affectionate series that I've ever watched. Please continue as you can but don't let yourself get bogged down by modern opinion. Warp Troughton's advice, though ... take three years... Don't review anything under three years old! Let it settle to history =)
Loved the whole 8 episodes. The McCoy era is the one I remember most from when I was a teenager and I tried not to miss an episode. His doctor was so bloody good, so Machiavellian and didn’t deserve the series to be cancelled from under him. The Andrew cartmell era was brilliant and the writing is so much better than it has been for the last couple of series of Nu Who. Thank you for doing these videos.
I have waited so long for this, this entire series has been amazing and just in time for Christmas we get to my favourite Doctor. This is my evening's viewing sorted. Thank you so, so much for such amazing work.
Hooray! I'm a new Whovian (Newvian?!?) and have loved learning all about the classic era with your documentaries. Each episode is really well-researched and well-paced. I hope you'll continue straight through to the present day. Thanks for all of your hard work.
Jenifer Coyle Have you watched any of the classics?
@@highvoltage7797 I dont like the classics but ive watched the new seasons at least 20 times.
Mammutbrot Yeeeeeah can’t agree with that.
@@highvoltage7797 the classics have good moments but for newvians it’s hard to overlook the shocking effects
@@xx-footcmpsf.c3693 But Doctor Who has never been about great or even good effects. Imo, what makes Doctor Who great are it’s characters, storylines, villains, themes, atmosphere and music. Also, that cheap look of classic Doctor Who is part of the charm for me anyway.
Imo, saying it only has good moments is selling it short. It has great seasons, great stories that I think haven’t been entirely replicated since. Look at the late 60s to the mid 70s. A kind of golden age that we haven’t seen again. I’d say the first five series of the modern series are the closest we’ve got to that.
I think I just fell in love with this incarnation. Time to binge some 7th Doctor stories on BritBox. Thank you for doing what you do!
Its sad about Colin. He truly loves being The Doctor. Ive met him, really nice guy. Has nothing but nice things to say fans. His big finish audio stories are wonderful.
Having just watched the 60th special "the giggle", you are absolutely right about Bonnie. Her what 6-10 minutes of screen time is better in that then her whole run on dr who. Its sad really.
Can't wait for an overview of Richard Griffiths era!
Oh, wait, wrong timeline. Can't wait for an overview of the Wilderness Years.
I'm waiting for the retrospective of the Mr Pastry era.
What about the Ken Campbell era? I heard that this era made Mary Whitehouse very angry due to how scary Campbell was during his time as the Doctor.
I'm waiting for a retrospective of the Ron moody era
I've watched all your videos and they are excellent. The very first Dr. Who I remember is a PBS rerun of Inferno with Pertwee when I was maybe 5 or 6... loved the Doctor ever since. Thanks!
Omg...Inferno was my first episode...bless PBS.
Seventh doctor post season 24 is possibly the most unique incarnation of the doctor ever in my opinion. So complex so sinister and just soo scheming I absolutely love him (and don’t even get me started on him and ace).
Thank you for making this video. It’s so nice to see a proper analysis of my favourite Dr Who era. This era is too quickly skimmed over in other documentaries. It’s also nice to see it in a positive light and it’s clear you love this era as much as I do!
Been binging this series after a migraine set in but now I’m so invested the headache isn’t even on my mind this is some seriously good shit mang can’t imagine how much research u did
HELL YES!
Been excited for this for a while especially with the cliffhanger in the last one. The seventh Doctor was at times my favourite Doctor, it's shame he didn't get more stories cause they were on a roll at the end with Remembrance Of The Daleks, Ghost Light, Curse Of Fenric even Survival. Though much like Colin Baker he was done justice in Big Finish with awesome stories like Death In The Family, Two Masters, The Harvest, A Thousand Tiny Wings, Master and more. I'm looking forward to them eventually being covered :)
I would agree and add House Of Blue Fire. Master had me on edge throughout it was so intense lol
So happy to see this one out!
Poor Colin. Big Finish is forever commended for giving him some REAL meaty stuff to get into.
Sylvester McCoy always impressed me in the role, going from a really comic figure in his early stuff (Not that I think it was necessarily bad, I think with better directors and writers you could have another Troughton or Tom Baker on hand) to a really darker one. There was a classic Who day back in the early 2000's I think, and I remember that each episode sort of shaped my opinon of each era of the Doctor (Pertwee got Three Doctors, Tom got the Deadly Assassin, Davison Caves of Androzani, and Colin a rather mangled Attack of the Cybermen, so not everyone was a winner) and for McCoy we got the Curse of Fenric, which was PROPER scary to me at the time. The Doctor's cold turn makes it stick in my mind all the more, and it made me a fan of Seven and Ace for a good while. It also really had the sense of a bigger story, which I REALLY wanted to see. It kinda helped me get into the classics, so he's always got a place in my heart.
Colin's stories were far from perfect buy they're miles better than the stories McCoy had to work with. Frankly Big Finish is highly overrated and Seaons 22-23 are somewhat underrated within the community.
@@UnchainedEruption I do agree that some people seem to love big finish blindly to the point they will criticise everything new who does and yet claim big finish is perfect.
However I think with the help of companion Evelyn colins doctor became the doctor he should have been, starting dark but mellowing over time similar to how capaldi developed
@@UnchainedEruption wait you're telling me that season 22 is better than 26?
2020 has rotted my brain i swear when you said he didn't tell baker face-to-face i was immediately like "well it probably wasn't safe!" as if it wasn't decades ago 😫 amazing video series btw!
The McCoy era started terribly, but the writing improved massively in his second season. Unfortunately, the budget was so low at that point it would embarass a daytime quiz show, and it's doom was inevitable. The Doctor ('Professor' ;) ) / Ace dynamic was terrific, though.
Honestly this review project you are doing is amazing, its great stuff.
Aye. Far more professional then some professional publications.
Another great video. I have mixed feelings on this particular era between wishing for the early departure of Bonnie Langford from the show to having to suffer someone's interpretation of the youth of the day in the form of Ace. Loved the mystery and darkness which came with this incarnation of the Doctor and have fond memories of rushing to complete homework before each broadcast aired. The disappearance of the Tardis from the BBC programming schedule came as a cruel blow to this particular viewer who was still lamenting the demise of Blake's 7 some eight years prior, like the two bookends to my formative years they turned out to be. Thank you for sharing your passion project on this channel
OK after watching this I may have to revisit the 7th era. I hope we get some in-depth videos about the Dr's respective Big Finish eras. Colin Baker really gets the chance to shine on audio.
and i'm so glad!!!!!!
I uttered a startling "yesss!" when I saw this in my queue. Couldn't wait to see your analysis. McCoy was MY "second" Doctor, having been hooked by Colin and Nicola. His last season had a maturity that fit what I needed, having become a teenager when it came out. I loved where Ghost Light was headed. A shame that things were cut short just as they were getting interesting, but we're left with some of the best of classic Who.
I'm really quite young. Only 17 but, despite having only grown up with New Who until a few years ago. I can confidently say that the Seventh Doctor is my favourite and Rememberance of the Daleks being one of the first seven serials I ever watched. It is the one I loved the most of all of them and by God are those Imperial Daleks gorgeous.
Im 39 and grew up with 7, he will always be the best for me too
I remember watching all of McCoy... absolutely loved it. Deserved more on tv.
Great to hear, I was 9 by Remembrance Of The Daleks and its the first story I remember really clearly, loved the school setting, had never seen something like that before. The white and Gold Daleks are fab were always 'my' type of Dalek over others.
The Headmaster was played by Micheal Sheard who among other Who appearances aside, to me was the scarey Mr Bronson, the wig wearing Headmaster from Grange Hill, which was a great touch.
Good for you for having watched the old Doctor Who.I met Sylvester McCoy at a Doctor Who con in Boston.(a very long time ago) I thought he very nice man.He had to do Colin's regeneration into his Doctor.
Age thing means nothing tbh
I agree with you that the last two McCoy series had some of the best Who for a long time. Wolves of Fenris is a storming story, I loved the postwar backdrop where the scars of war are still vivid in people's lives and the move from wartime allies to Cold War enemies between Russia and Britain. Add to that Ace's coming of age tale, Nicholas Parsons' surprisingly good turn as a clergyman losing his faith and some excellent cinematography, it feels like a really grown-up slice of Doctor Who.
24:50 Nowadays,Ace would probably have found her way onto the security services' terrorist persons of interest for that. Did she have a copy of The Anarchist's Cookbook stashed away,per chance?
Wonderful documentary. Thank you sir! The first Doctor I can remember was Davison, however it was McCoy and Aldred's amazing partnership that really captivated me and made me a Doctor Who fan. Not only were they both great actors but together they had such fantastic chemistry. They felt like family - McCoy was your favourite uncle, and Aldred was your best friend. In my opinion, she was so much more relatable than any of the previous women to travel in the TARDIS. She's just such a lovely girl and I love the joyous enthusiasm and energy she brought to the character. It's really sad they didn't get a couple more series - or even just a few specials to put us on through the 90s.
The chemistry of Syl and Sophie is right up there with Colin and Nicola. I think Remembrance of The Daleks is my favourite 7th Doctor story.
I've been looking forward to this one :-)
I’ve never really been a fan of Dr.who but this video series has given me a newfound appreciation for it, maybe I’ll start watching.
Thomas Meehan yeah I guess😂 I dunno I was first introduced to Doctor Who with a Christmas special and since those tend to be the worst episodes maybe that’s why?😂
The one thing to mention, if anyone here listen's to the Big Finish Audio Adventures, they actually did a more detailed reason for the Doctor's regeneration into McCoy in "The Last Adventure" as well as giving the Sixth Doctor a more respectable swan song.
I've really enjoyed this series and glad to hear it's not ending here. You do a great job and the effort you put into your research is clear....And makes all the difference.
Thank you again for a excellent video, I've had a particularly bad week and this really cheered me up and put me in positive spirits so thank you!
That's wonderful to hear, James! The good Doctor always helps, I find. Take care!
@@cleverdickfilms Thank you appreciate that!
This review is awesome. I find it fascinating how Dr. Who was influenced by real world events, yet sometimes affected events outside of itself. I watched "Back to the Future" and noted it is a story about a doctor with a time machine (that is disguised as another object), travelling with a young companion who explains the current pop-culture. Coincidence? I think not.
As someone that watched who in the states in the 1980s, I was dependent on the episodes that my Oklahoma public television station, OETA in Tulsa, bought. It was mostly the tom Baker years. It has been this superior series that shed some light on the doctors I missed, especially the last one of the classic era.
That last line by Sylvester McCoy in his final episode summarizes the series quite nicely.
The endings of this series of reviews is always so bittersweet and I end up crying and loving that doctor even more.
Sylvester mccoy is my favourite doctor, thanks for the great video.Ace is the best companion
I don’t think you know how much drool is coming from my mouth out of anticipation for the new who analysis’s.
The rush of excitement anticipating the next episode as its been 6 months! Damning realisation that the next one is Doctor 8 who requires sooooo much research across so many mediums. I guess we wait patiently....
Not for much longer, I promise!
I’m honestly very excited to see what you do with the 8th Doctor possibly exploring the wilderness years throughout I assume. Keep up the good work! I love this series!
Otherwise known as the worst wig in the history of the show in that first episode.
The wig in 'Do You Have A Licence to Save This Planet' was slightly better.
What about the wigs the Monoids had on in The Ark?
@@PhilDrury 'do you have a license to safe this planet' sounds like the most briyish thing ever
@@pg-jr8sy in some ways it is. Was a spoof staring Sylvester McCoy.
So much chaos and rumor settled. Thank you. One doesn't get the whole picture from the DVD extras.
This is great and I've really enjoyed the documentaries that you've made so far. I can't wait to see you explore the Wilderness years and NuWho. I haven't seen the McCoy era yet but the Seventh Doctor seems like a interesting character and Ace sounds like the first companion that actually got some character development that has been lacking in most of the Classic Who companions. I will definitely check out the Seventh Doctor era very soon and I'm excited to watch it. You documentaries inspired me to check out the Classic Who stories. I watched a few Troughton's stories, I finished watching all of Jon Pertwee's stories and I'm almost done watching the Tom Baker era. I can't wait to watch the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctor stories. Keep up the good work.
*Phone dialling*
*Colin:* "Graveyard?"
*JNT:* "No....it's Jon. And it's Valeyard."
*Colin:* "Oh hi Trainyard"
*JNT:* "I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that it's coming back"
*Colin:* "What's the bad news?"
*JNT:* "Carrot juice-"
*Colin:* "FUCK!"
*JNT:* "Pardon?"
*Colin:* "What did I tell you about the 'c-word'?"
*JNT:* "Oh no, that was just me telling my assistant what I wanted for lunch."
*Colin:* "Oh"
*JNT:* "The bad news is that you're fired. Colin?"
*Colin:* "I have a c-word of my own in mind."
I got to be honest. If I had to pick a Doctor whose opening sequence I like the least, it would be Sylvester McCoy's. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but something about his opening sequence just feels off to me.
There are some bad edits in it that makes it feel a bit slapdash, even if I always thought they did the bit with his face pretty well. And that logo... right at the bottom of the list (even if I did spend some time doodling it in my teenage years).
The fact that they painted his face silver didn't help. Were they tying to turn him into a cyberman?
If I may add something: the middle eight in the intro really doesn't feel right.
To me, the intro should have an air of eeriness to it. It should make you sit down and anticipate the sci-fi goodness that was to come. The middle eight is too heroic, it's like a comforting embrace - which I think should be saved for the end credits, after we've seen the Doctor save the day.
The music is quite annoying
This was around the time when I was introduced to Doctor Who as a kid. And it was just the best thing I had ever seen on TV.
Sylvester McCoy was my Doctor. Even tho this era will always unfairly be known as the final death nail for the classic series.
I think Sylvester McCoy truly has to be the most underrated Doctor of all time. The 7th Doctor and Ace was the best Doctor-companion relationship since the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane. McCoy and Aldred had great chemistry on and off screen.
Even tho the public had already given up on the series at the time. Plus if you ignore his first year when he was getting to grips with the mess that had been left over behind the scenes. And plus time for a new team settling in. Season 25 and 26 was amazing. The stories were probably the best in years.
Remembrance of the Daleks part 1 probably the best cliffhanger in Who history. And the dark side that was introduced to the Doctor and the way he manipulated his enemies and even his companion (Curse of Fenric) was a very interesting root to go down that hadn't been done with previous Doctors.
There is something very sinister about the 7th Doctor in that last season which makes him stand out from his predecessors.
It's a crying shame. I would have loved McCoy to have had a 4th season (Season 27) to see where this theme would have taken the series.
7 is probably second but I think 5 is the most underrated and 6 is the most overhated
28:00 I love the Doctor's face during this scene. It just screams "OH MY GOD!!! SINCE WHEN COULD YOU DO THAT???!!!"
15:30 COSTUME: I agree. Someone in the designer department must had the classical BATMAN comics in mind where the RIDDLER had worn such flashy outfits since the Fifies.
I always found Battlefield to be criminally underrated. I'm a sucker for Arthurian lore and that story was full of it.
And it is the true start for "new" Doctor Who. (its hidden in plain sight in that serial)
Battlefield was one of the first Doctor Who stories I ever watched.
Battlefield is great semi throw back, it like Remembrance Of The Daleks is full of references to Jon Pertwee run but it stands on its own both in story an style.
Battlefield is my favourite McCoy story, the last time we saw the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. And of course the best companion ever; Bessie.
I have been waiting for this video since I saw the 6th Doctor video, and then binged the rest, then had to wait for this for like 4 months. Then again, all great works take time.
Very well done as usual... really sad Colin Baker got fired but I absolutely love Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor
Another excellent documentary. Thank you very much for all your hard work, I really enjoyed it. Sylvester was my first Doctor, and he's always been one of my favourites. The series had its campy and O.T.T. moments, but it was also often genuinely terrifying in a captivating way. I especially remember as a child, being freaked out by the Haemovores, and the image of the Doctor using religious iconography to hold them back has burned into my memory. I haven't watched those episodes for more than 20 years. I think I'll have to revisit them.
Amazing review as always, now begins the constant questions for when part 9 comes out. 😁
when does part 9 come out?
Be thankful he's updates are more constant than most .
*cough*Zaranyzerak*cough*
JMein13074 I like him, but he takes forever to do anything Doctor Who related. I remember when he said he would review every classic episode in order.... that never happened.
Oh shit! Better watch before it's taken down!!
"And yes that is Jeffery from from the fresh prince of bel air" you reading my mind dude?
Absolutely fantastic video! My favourite era of the show. I adore Season 25 and Season 26 is my all-time favourite season of Doctor Who. Such a shame we never did get the originally planned Season 27 but life's like that. Best thing is just to get on with it!
i always loved remembrance of the daleks, i always liked to think that the doctor plan backfired on him, and this event was what caused the time war, it certainly my second fav dalek story of all time
First shots in the Time War!
@Captainconkerboy1 I tend to think that it was the Seventh Doctor's destruction of Skaro with the Omega device which was the catalyst for the Time War.
I've never seen Remembrance of the Daleks,but it looks a blast. That Special Weapons Dalek looks like the meanest thing.
Once again I find myself amazed by the depth and detail of your analysis. Your love of the 7th Doctor beams through this episode. Thank you for your continued work on what is now my favorite series on UA-cam!
I'm a hungarian whovian and haven't got the luxury to watch the new episodes on BBC as they aired...and I have to watch them at the following day when I can get a hold on them. Today in the work I was very eagerly await for the new Jodie episode to watch. When I got home I just casually scrolling through my UA-cam channel subscribes when I instantly saw that the Clever Dick documentary's part 8 is up...so I just skipped the new Who episode to watch this part instead, so that might be a little bit of an appreciaton for your incredible videos. Keep up the good work!
Despite considering myself at the time a huge fan of Doctor Who, there are so many of the 7th Doctor's stories that I have never seen again since the original broadcast. In fact the only ones I've seen since are Remembrance, Greatest Show, Battlefield, Fenric and Survival. The view here that Doctor Who was just getting back on its feet is spot on- and that's absolutely how I remember it. I loved the direction the show had got to in Season 26, and the 7th Doctor had (finally) won me over. Fortunately, given the show's cancellation, it was during Season 26 that our household FINALLY got a VHS recorder, and I was able to watch the older stories again to fill the void. And what a void it was...!
Been looking forward to this one. Sylvester was Ace (lol), those last 2 seasons of classic Who were the best since season 17, I often wonder what would have followed. Is it too much to hope for the new adventures to be animated and put on dvd release? On that point, these documentaries should be out to buy, they're that good. I'd pay to have them on my shelf. Well done.
Big Finish really saved the 6th Doctor's regeneration
You need to be on mainstream telly. The whole series of these documentaries is so professionally done it hurts. Excellent work.
McCoy is my favorite Doctor. Almost like an Odysseus. His sinister, political, meta-intelligent doctor remains my favorite. Thank you for this tribute!
Yet again a well-crafted informative video. I have enjoyed each one of your videos in this series. The effort and care you put into them shines through with every frame and is sounded with every syllable. Well done, mate!
Fantastic video, congratulations! I loved the McCoy era as a 9 to 12 year old. I still have VHS tapes to this day of the series recorded from UK Gold in 1996. The memories of Greatest Show, Happiness, Ghost Light and Fenric will never leave me :D
I'm glad you like it even if my opinion differs, despite my appreciation of McCoy as an actor, but I am sure we would agree on the highly memorable music composed for some of these episodes. I bought all the commercially available music from this era just to show support and enjoy it still. Some of it is used when Twitch does a presentation of classic Who shows and it sounds great.
I have to say, your views on Who mirror my own. You are producing such good quailty insights in to our wonderful show that itsva delight to see. It's up there with anything officially produced by the BBC itself. Well done, keep it going. Wish I knew you personally, as I said before, your views mirror my own and it's refreshing to see this amazing programme examined so accurately and closely. Wonderful stuff!
Wonderful - makes me want to watch the entire 7th Dr series again with a new appreciation, thank you.
I love the seventh doctor and have waited so long for this video
same, I started with the new-who 11, but for some reason the 7th drew me in the most of the old series. (not with Mel though, no offence to her but I didn't like her at all)
Brendan McCabe
Awesome.
Brendan McCabe
1.45. HE LOOKS LIKE TOM BAKER !!!
Your love for the mysterious Gallifreyan shines yet again, allowing a sincere critique which isn't afraid to examine the flaws whilst celebrating the many successes. How I wish that series 27 would have been made! McCoy was so deliciously dark and often remote. Although I adore Remembrance (currently enjoying Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series) the story which has entranced and captivated the most is still Ghost Light. I can think of one or two BBC executives from the 1980s who thoroughly deserve a trip to Java.
Again, I must say that I am so very much enjoying your series. I look forward to the end of the coming semester so that you can release another instalment. Your views are always so insightful and I chuckle at the anecdotes and quips you throw it here and there. Please keep it up.
Thanks for another fascinating episode. You've inspired me to revisit the McCoy era, haven't seen any stories since they were first shown back in the late eighties - I didn't think much of them at the time, but I'm a lot older and wiser now. Anyway keep up the excellent work on these videos, cannot praise them enough.
Yes!!! I am so happy!!! Remembrance of the Daleks, Battlefield, and Survival are my favorite 7th Doctor Stories!!!
Andrew; have you ever realised that the serial Battlefield was the starting point for new Who?
In the late 90s, possibly early 00s, I was at a Con... and saw the saddest sight I have seen in all of fandom. All the guests were seated and doing signings, photos etc... and no-one was there for Sophie Aldred. I wished I was wealthier, just so I could afford to join the queue.
Your timing of this release couldn't be more perfect - I just finished watching the previous 7 parts yesterday! Fantastic job on this project!
Another magnificent entry. Thank you so very much. It's so well produced, written, edited, and narrated that it's finer than many a professional work.
This is my first watch of your videos and now I'll be spending this whole holiday break on all the others thanks very much. Brilliantly done, and a reminder of just how good some of the work was from the first Doctor I knew. The chemistry he had with Ace was unique and up there with some of the very best Doctor-companion relationships ever. There are many out there who think it's only the new series that's given us strong, smartly written female companions - they have no idea....
Agreed 100% about the chemistry between the Doctor and Ace; it's in the same league as Troughton/Hines, Pertwee/Manning and Baker/Sladen.
And I was amazed Jodie Whittaker had to bingefest nuWho when she got the role, only to discover so did McCoy...packed with loads of interesting facts yet again!!
CallMeMrRook she won’t watch the classic series, saying it’s ‘sexist’
@@celt80 now why would that not surprise me xD
I've heard some detractors argue that she is essentially nuWho's McCoy, due to this, the increase in left wing political messaging in both eras and the trends in the ratings at the time. Maybe McCoy's era seems less on-the-nose because contemporary media wasn't so apparently one-sided, and there wasn't media like Twitter and UA-cam for people to present their analyses of ever little quip and frame.
celt80 chibnall told her not to watch anything because he wanted her experience everything for the first time. But she did watch the first series of NuWho, because production was coming fast on another program and she didn't have time to go to the start before she started DW, but she stopped and decided to read about everything.
Fantastic video series!! I’m hooked and have been binging. Thank you for your excellent work and explaining a lot.
I always remember when it was first shown! several people didn't like the candy man :) they said the show was silly. I think many people ignored the deeper story telling and focused on visuals more. The 7th Doctor and Ace were such a great team! it should have had one more season