MY FIRST HALLOWEEN VIEWING FOR OCTOBER IS, RATHER APPROPRIATELY, AN EPISODE OF DOCTOR WHO. It IS the 50th anniversary, you may recall. I think I might've mentioned it once or 100. Oddly enough, it's not from the classic series but one of the newest episodes from the current season: "HIDE" from 2013's Series 7b.
Certainly the best episode of that half-season after "THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR" season finale, "HIDE" is basically DOCTOR WHO's take on the Shirley Jackson-penned book/1963 classic film "THE HAUNTING". We've got the older "ghost hunter" professor type and the nebbish female psychic empathy. There's, of course, the huge old haunted house complete with cold spots and ghostly writings of "Help me" on the wallpaper. Throw in a bit of "THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE" with the psychic/ghost detecting apparatus and also the fact that said female psychic empathy is rather dishy in a buttoned-down sense. And finally, throw in a lot of Tobe Hooper's "POLTERGEIST" for the episodes final act and you've got a nice little spookfest for the Doctor and Clara to bounce around in. Also, I can't help but notice a rather nice tribute to the Tom Baker era of DOCTOR WHO by placing the story in 1974: Tom Baker's first year in the role which also featured, under the aegis of Philip Hinchcliffe, quite a lot of horror-themed episodes. Quite a nice bit of viewing for the first of October!
AND SO WE BEGIN.
As stated, all month long I'm going to induct 31 "halloweenie" songs into my own "Horror Hall of Fame" in conjunction with the Penguin Awards. So which song is the first recipient of the Batty Award? Well, for the first inductee I chose one of the perennial classics - a song which sooooooooooooo conjures up the meaning of Halloween for me that I thought it only appropriate for this inaugural honour. This is a song which the Rev. Marc Time (of the late, lamented Oregon radio show "SUNDAY MORNING HANGOVER") has called the greatest Halloween song of all time. While that statement can be endlessly debated, the song's worthiness cannot. And so, the very first inductee into the Batty Awards Halloween Hall of Fame is . . .
IT'S HALLOWEEN by THE SHAGGS!
The Wiggins sisters - Dot, Betty and Helen - hoisted their classic album "PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD" on an unsuspecting humanity in 1969. They have been described as "...sounding like lobotomized Trapp Family singers" by Rolling Stone magazine and "better than the Beatles" by Frank Zappa. Kurt Cobain thought they were brilliant and Cub Koda described them best when he said "There's an innocence to these songs and their performances that's both charming and unsettling. Hacked-at drumbeats, whacked-around chords, songs that seem to have little or no meter to them ... being played on out-of-tune, pawn-shop-quality guitars all converge, creating dissonance and beauty, chaos and tranquility, causing any listener coming to this music to rearrange any pre-existing notions about the relationships between talent, originality, and ability. There is no album you might own that sounds remotely like this one." Nary a Halloween goes by without hearing this song. "IT'S HALLOWEEN", with Helen drumming in a seemingly different universe than the song her sisters are singing combined with Dot and Betty's dime store-sounding guitars and charmingly direct and unvarnished harmonies seem to me to conjure up visions of a porch on Halloween. The sisters are performing the song on their porch in the flickering light of a jack o'lantern while the trick or treaters toddle up to fill their pillow cases with candy. The crisped and sere leaves blow to and frow and a black cat listens on the porch rail. This song epitomizes what Halloween means to me and for that reason I am inducting it into my Halloween Hall of Fame. Give it a listen over in the box on the right hand column . . . and tune in tomorrow for the second inductee!
WELCOME, FOOLISH MORTALS . . . TO THE COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN.
As I've often said before, Halloween for me is a state of mind and exists 365 days of the year; the actual 31st of October is more like a formality. But since that day is the nexus around which all our spooky gallivanting will circle, I'd like to start off with a little nostalgia from the misty past of my childhood. And many of these childhood memories tend to focus around my grandparents' huge old Victorian house in Pennsauken where I would usually stay weekends. For years, my grandfather would take me to the Pennsauken Mart where there was a store which sold tons of comic books (with the covers torn off) for something like "five for a dime" or some ridiculous price like that. This is where I first developed an addiction to comic books - specifically DC and Marvel superhero comics. However, years before this, when I was very small, the first comix I read were things like ARCHIE, MAD HOUSE GLADS, Disney and Looney Tunes funny animal comics, Gold Key/Whitman comics (like my beloved OCCULT FILES OF DR. SPEKTOR) and those Charlton horror comics - many of the titles you will see below in this vintage advert.
Many of these comic books I would get when my grandmother and I would walk all the way down Westfield Avenue to Thor's drugstore. It was here I also picked up my treasured Black Jack gum and those "You'll Die Laughing" horror trading cards (which I just may be posting some of shortly). My cousin Loran and I used to joke about the short-lived Charlton comic book HAUNTED LOVE which combined romance comics with the hugely popular gothic horror genre spurred on by the success of the DARK SHADOWS TV show. Years later, we both obtained copies of HAUNTED LOVE #1 and it was a coup, I can tell you! There is just something extremely nostalgic which gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling about those old Charlton horror comics (and the Gold Key/Whitman ones too, I might add). You either know what I'm talking about or you'll NEVER know. I can't explain it. You just had to be there. But, if I can get my meager faculties together, I just might be able to post an entire story from one of those issues - in fact, one of my favourite horror comic stories of all time which appeared in Charlton's GHOSTLY HAUNTS mag. Stay tuned to this Halloween Countdown for further developments. . .
AS THE AUTUMN WIND BLOWS COLDER AND THE LEAVES ON THE TREES TURN GOLDER, WE BEGIN TO THINK OF OCTOBER AND THE JOYS OF HALLOWEEN.
As such, I am once again going to throw caution to those autumn winds and participate in the ever-growing "COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN". For those out the know, the Halloween Countdown celebrates Halloween by posting something spooky every day of the month of October. I did my first one . . . oh . . . I don't remember how many years ago when I stumbled across John Rozum's blog and was inspired by his. Now, Rozum and fiends have gathered together all the participating bloggers in the trick or treat bag that is the COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN blog - listing every single blogger who will be participating this year. And there are hundreds so the treats are plentiful! Click on the link in red above or else click on the Cryptkeeper badge over on the right and it will take you there.
Now for my umpteenth time doing this, I wondered what I could do that would be a little different AND which I could accomplish despite my beleaguered mental exhaustion and very little free time. As previous years have had me sometimes watch a horror movie a day and post about it, I thought something a little different would be for me to watch one or two Halloweenie TV episodes a day and post about them. My strategy will attempt to follow a path of watching one episode of a straight horror TV show (i.e. something from BORIS KARLOFF'S THRILLER, NIGHT GALLERY, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, etc.) and pairing that with an episode of some other show's Halloween episode (we all remember the many ROSEANNE Halloween episodes . . . something like that). So, if there is a particular Halloweenie-type TV episode you would like me to watch and blog about, please feel free to nominate a candidate in the comments; I can't promise I'll be able to watch it (since I might not own a copy) but I'll do my level best to try to watch it if possible.
In addition to that, while only this blog will be officially participating in the Halloween Countdown (leaving my other 3 blogs to go their merry way), I will also be co-opting some audio posting (from my audio blog "BATHED IN THE LIGHT FROM ANDROMEDA") and will post some audio on THIS blog every day. And here's what you will hear here. Ahem. Veteran readers will recall my annual Penguin music awards; well, the Halloween Countdown is debuting something similar in the month of October. In conjunction with the Penguin Awards, we now present the Batty Awards! This award will be given to a song per day in October which we will be inducting into the Cerpts Halloween Hall of Fame. Only those songs which are so monumentally associated with Halloween for me and which have proven themselves to be perennial classics will go into the Hall of Fame. So every day in October, we're going to induct a classic Halloweenie song and you will be able to listen to it in the box over on the right hand side of this blog. That's 31 songs in the Batty Awards inaugural year for the Cerpts Halloween Hall of Fame. Now THAT'S what I call a Halloween celebration!
Plus we're going to have all the usual Halloweenie fun and fright you've come to expect from the Halloween Countdown each year. So I hope you enjoy the month to come. Even though I've constantly said that Halloween is 365, I'm still fond of making the Halloweenie month of October something special here at the Land of Cerpts and Honey. Hope to see you there.
AFTER RANKING MY FAVOURITE DOCTORS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I FINALLY BRING YOU THE PROMISED RANKING OF MY TOP 20 FAVOURITE COMPANIONS. But, in order to keep you in suspenders, I'll be presenting the companions in reverse order starting with number 20.
20. LIZ SHAW - The brilliant Liz Shaw was scientific advisor to U.N.I.T. when the Doctor was unceremoniously exiled to Earth by the Time Lords. At the start, she was slightly bemused by this strange Doctor person who was assigned to her but she soon learned to appreciate his talents. However, the Doctor soon took center stage and Liz would depart after only a short time because she was a little too talented herself to be the Doctor's "test-tube passer". Caroline John played Liz Shaw from the 3rd Doctor's first story "SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE" in January 1970 until to the epic "INFERNO" in June 1970. She returned for the 20th anniversary extravaganza "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983 and for the 30th anniversary fiasco "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993. Caroline John died in 2012.
19. HARRY SULLIVAN - Another U.N.I.T. member, Harry gave the Tardis an actual, proper medical doctor. Harry's old-fashioned demeanor, Royal Navy background and insistence on calling Sarah Jane Smith "old girl" made for a charming if slightly bumbling companion who was always good for lifting spirits when they were low and thumping monsters when the need arose. Ian Marter played Harry from the 4th Doctor's first story "ROBOT" in December 1974 through to "TERROR OF THE ZYGONS" in September 1975. Marter briefly returned for December 1975's "THE ANDROID INVASION". And to show you in what high regard Harry was held by the Doctor . . . Harry, to my knowledge, is the ONLY person who was ever allowed to wear the Doctor's scarf; Harry can be seen wearing the famous Tom Baker scarf as he, Sarah Jane and the Doctor trudge through the cold and damp Scottish underbrush in "TERROR OF THE ZYGONS". Ian Marter died in 1986.
18. ZOE HERIOT - 21st century astrophysicist Zoe Heriot always claimed to be smarter than the Doctor and who's to argue? Except the Doctor, of course, who always refuted it. However, her exceptional braininess did not mean she couldn't handle herself; Zoe was a master at hand-to-hand combat and often tossed muscle-bound villains around like dolls. Wendy Padbury played Zoe from the Cybermen invasion of her space station in "THE WHEEL IN SPACE" of April 1968 until the Time Lords dumped her back in her own time without the memory of her time spent with the 2nd Doctor (in his final story) at the end of "THE WAR GAMES" in June 1969. Zoe sort-of returned in "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983 but only as a naughty illusion created by the villain.
17. RORY WILLIAMS - Someone we expected to be a sideline character in the 11th Doctor's first story "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" would quickly become a regular companion. And, as often happened in "New Who", a character who at first seemed rather inconsequential would grow to become a formidable, heroic companion in his own right time and time again. With a heart as big as the inside of the Tardis and the lovability of a puppy dog, Rory the Roman proved himself to be a stand-up guy. Arthur Darvill played Rory from "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" in April 2010, off and on until "THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN" in September 2012.
16a. ROMANA I - Sweet sixteen on my list of companions, of necessity, must be shared between two actresses as Time Lady Romanadvoratrelundar would regenerate her appearance during her time in the Tardis. When the 4th Doctor was charged with his quest to recover the Key to Time, the White Guardian assigned Romana to help him out. Another companion who regularly referred to herself as smarter than the Doctor (with the Gallifreyan test scores to back up her claims), Romana brought unheard-of glamour to the old Blue Police Box. Mary Tamm played Romana I from "THE RIBOS OPERATION" in September 1978 until "THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR" in February 1979. Mary Tamm died in 2012.
16b. ROMANA II - When she got bored of her appearance, Romana regenerated into a new, gamin-like form. While her earlier incarnation was smooth-spoken, elegant and regal, Romana's newest regeneration was playful and silly enough to match the 4th Doctor's eccentricities while still maintaining her air of Time Lord authority which would one day land her in the post of President of Gallifrey (in the Big Finish audio series). Lalla Ward played Romana (after taking the likeness of another character she played in "THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR") in "DESTINY OF THE DALEKS in September 1979 until sauntering off into misty E-Space in WARRIOR'S GATE" in January 1981. She returned for "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993.
15. JAMIE MCCRIMMON - What gams! The 2nd Doctor met the young Scottish piper during the 1746 Highland uprising and rather unexpectedly ended up as a member of Team Tardis without even trying. Always up for a good thumping, Jamie provided the muscle when the Doctor got into some scrapes; he also became half of a comedy team with the Doctor as the two sometimes behaved like naughty, giggly schoolboys. Former child actor Fraser Hines played James from "THE HIGHLANDERS" in December 1966 until he was also mind-wiped and dumped back in his timeline by the Time Lords in "THE WAR GAMES" of June 1969. He would also (sort-of) return in November 1983 for "THE FIVE DOCTORS" and actually return in "THE TWO DOCTORS" in February 1985 when he and the 2nd Doctor teamed-up with the 6th Doctor.
14. NYSSA - Yet another brilliant companion -- who said all the Doctor's female companions were only there to scream -- Nyssa was one of the more tragic members of the Tardis team. A young scientific genius on the planet Traken, Nyssa's father was murdered by the Master (who piggily took his form) and he planet was destroyed just to tie a bow on the whole mess. Wedged in between the arrogant and snotty Adric and the "mouth on legs", complaining Tegan, Nyssa might be thought to fade somewhat into the background; however she was the companion (in the overcrowded Tardis) the Doctor relied upon constantly and was Peter Davison's idea of "the perfect companion". Sarah Sutton played Nyssa from "THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN" in January 1981 until her rather abrupt and unforeshadowed departure in "TERMINUS" in February 1983. She would also participate in that dog's breakfast called "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993.
13. RIVER SONG - No spoilers here, sweetie. Suffice it to say that Dr. River Song was an enigmatic archaeologist who periodically encountered the Doctor going in opposite directions of their respective timelines; when the 10th Doctor first encountered River he had no idea who she was while she was meeting him for the final time and evidently had quite a history with him. Spending equal time adventuring and cooling her (high) heels in prison, River Song was a pip. Alex Kingston played River Song from "SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY" in May 2008 until her (presumably) final appearance in "THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR" in May 2013.
12. K-9 - The tin dog! Created by Professor Marius, K-9 tagged along in the Tardis for quite a stint. Still another companion who was constantly claiming intellectual superiority to the Doctor (I'm beginning to think the Doctor is a dope), K-9 was intensely loyal as well as enjoyably snarky towards his Time Lord master with a "talk back chip" apparently on 11. John Leeson voiced K-9 in almost all the stories beginning with "THE INVISIBLE ENEMY" in October 1977 through WARRIORS' GATE in January 1981 (except in the stories between "THE CREATURE FROM THE PIT" and "SHADA" when K-9 was voiced by David Brierley). The tin dog would return in "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993, "SCHOOL REUNION" in April 2006 and "JOURNEY'S END" in July 2008. K-9 would also appear in the spin-offs "K-9 AND COMPANY", "THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES" and "K-9".
11. IAN CHESTERTON - The programme's first "action hero", Ian was a science teacher from 1963 London who is kidnapped by the grouchy 1st Doctor into a series of adventures in space and time. The elderly Time Lord wasn't capable of fisticuffs so Ian filled that role admirably; he also became something of a moral compass in the Tardis as the 1st Doctor wasn't always heroic or benign. William Russell played Ian from the very first episode "AN UNEARTHLY CHILD" in November 1963 until the Dalek fun fair "THE CHASE" in June 1965.
10. BARBARA WRIGHT - Really inseparable from Ian Chesterton, Barbara was the other half of the rock solid original Tardis Team of kidnapped 1963 London school teachers of the Doctor's granddaughter Susan. Extremely knowledgable in history, Barbara was a great source of information for viewers of this new and strange TV programme. She also provided some of the most interesting questions in the series i.e. whether or not one can change the pages of history. "Not one single line!" While initially rather timid, Barbara grew into a capable and sometimes brave companion much like the "New Who" group who would come after her. Jacqueline Hill played Barbara from the first episode of the series "AN UNEARTHLY CHILD" in November 1963 until "THE CHASE" in June 1965 when she and Ian happily bounded through the streets of 60's London together. The actress would return (as a different character) in "MEGLOS" in September 1980. Jacqueline Hill died in 1993.
9. LEELA - The noble savage and the Doctor's very own Eliza Doolittle, Leela was a member of the Sevateen: a far-future aboriginal culture devolved from a crashed spaceship crew. Adept with a knife and her lethal Janus thorns, Leela was constantly being reigned in by the Doctor from her violent tendencies as he attempted to "civilise" her. A fearless warrior who seldom looked before she leapt; especially when she suddenly and unexpected stayed behind on Gallifrey after falling in love with a Gallifreyan guard (apparently off screen as there was bugger all plot motivation for it). Louise Jameson played Leela from "THE FACE OF EVIL" in January 1977 until "THE INVASION OF TIME" in March 1978. She also returned for "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993.
8. DR. MARTHA JONES - When her hospital was transported to the surface of the moon, medical student Martha Jones aided the 10th Doctor in his tiff with the Judoon. After that, Martha joined him on his adventures as well as harbouring an unrequited love for the Time Lord. Extremely capable first as a doctor and then as an in-demand freedom fighter whose services were sought by U.N.I.T. and Torchwood, Martha Jones is one of the most formidable companions the Tardis has ever seen. Freema Agyeman played Martha Jones from "SMITH AND JONES" in March 2007 until "LAST OF THE TIME LORDS" in June 2007, then from "THE SONTARAN STRATAGEM" in April 2008 to "THE DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER" in May 2008 as well as subsequent appearances in "THE STOLEN EARTH/JOURNEY'S END" in June/July 2008 and "THE END OF TIME" in January 2010.
7. BRIGADIER ALISTAIR GORDON LETHBRIDGE-STEWART - Lucky number seven spanned almost the entire series as the leader of U.N.I.T. While only occasionally travelling in the Tardis, the Brigadier was one of the Doctor's most long-serving and valuable companions. Starting first as a colonel, Lethbridge-Stewart was soon promoted to Brigadier in order to head the United Nations Intelligence Task Force in their fight against alien intervention on the planet Earth. Nicholas Courtney played the Brig first in "THE WEB OF FEAR" in February 1968) and then in "THE INVASION" in November 1968 during the 2nd Doctor's tenure. He then appeared in the 3rd Doctor's storylines beginning in "SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE" in January 1970 until the 4th Doctor's story "TERROR OF THE ZYGONS" in September 1975), and then again in "MAWDRYN UNDEAD" (with the 5th Doctor) in February 1983, "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983, "BATTLEFIELD" (with the 7th Doctor) in September 1989 and finally in "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993. He also appeared in THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES story "ENEMY OF THE BANE". Nicholas Courtney died in 2011.
6. JO GRANT - Upon the departure of the brainy Liz Shaw, U.N.I.T. assigned daffy Jo Grant as the 3rd Doctor's assistant during his enforced exile on Earth. Flighty, silly and seemingly rather dim, Jo could also be resourceful, knowledgeable when the occasion called for it and fiercely loyal and brave. Street smarts rather than book smarts for Ms. Grant. Jo was also the victim of the hurriedly-arranged romantic encounter which scriptwriters often used to retire a companion. Katy Manning played Jo Grant from "TERROR OF THE AUTONS" in January 1971 until "THE GREEN DEATH" in June 1973. She would return in THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES story "THE DEATH OF THE DOCTOR".
5. ACE - Accidentally teleported to Iceworld from her hometown of Perivale, troubled teenager Ace would team up with the 7th Doctor and become his quintessential companion. Ace put paid to the misconception of female companions who tripped over things and screamed; she filled her back pack with Nitro-9 and famously beat the snot out of a Dalek with a baseball bat. The ultimate action hero, Ace was perfectly capable of hurling herself through windows or dodging machine gun fire. Ace was the first companion who had her own story arc throughout her tenure which would become de rigeur during the "New Who" years. Sophie Aldred portrayed Ace from "DRAGONFIRE" in November 1987 until the final episode of the classic series "SURVIVAL" in December 1989. She would also return for "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993 and is the one companion of all the rest I most wish would return for "New Who".
4. ROSE TYLER - The first companion of "New Who", Rose was the one to beat. Working in a department store during the invasion of the Nestene, Rose would become the template for the "New Who" tactic of placing the companions center stage with equal importance to the stories as the Doctor himself. Billie Piper played Rose from the first "New Who" story "ROSE" in March 2005 through "DOOMSDAY" in July 2006. She would then return in "PARTNERS IN CRIME" in April 2008 and "THE POISON SKY" in May 2008" and then from "MIDNIGHT" in June 2008 through "JOURNEY'S END" in July 2008 and finally in "THE END OF TIME" in January 2010.
3. DONNA NOBLE - The most important temp in the universe. Famously snuck onto the set with a paper bag over her head in a successful attempt to spoil the spoilers, British comedian Catherine Tate shocked the socks offa me by becoming one of my favourite companions and managing to top Rose Tyler on my list! Cheeky, bossy and loud, Donna also had a huge heart and a rich emotional core which made her eventual departure from the Tardis one of the most heartbreaking ever seen. Catherine Tate portrayed Donna from "DOOMSDAY" in June 2006 to "THE RUNAWAY BRIDE" in December 2006; then from "PARTNERS IN CRIME" in April 2008 through "JOURNEY'S END" in July 2008 and finally in "THE END OF TIME" in June/July 2010.
2. AMY POND - How the mighty Rose has fallen; before Donna and Amy, Rose ranked number two. But the mad ginger one has a power that cannot be denied. From the absolute best regeneration episode ever, we immediately loved little Amelia and then fell in love with older Amy. Her Scots fire ensured she took no guff and her thirst for adventure ensured she would be an exceptional companion. With or without Rory, her bigger than life presence threatened to eclipse even the 11th Doctor! Simply one of the most watchable companions ever. Karen Gillan played Amy from "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" in April 2010 until "THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN" in September 2012.
1. SARAH JANE SMITH - The winner and still champion! Undoubtedly the most-beloved companion in DOCTOR WHO history, she was my most beloved companion long before any else told me they felt the same way. First stowing away on the Tardis during the 3rd Doctor's final series, proto-feminist reporter Sarah Jane Smith was determined as well as beautiful. During her golden era teamed with Tom Baker's 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane was the Doctor's best friend and intensely loyal. While initially screaming at a slimy monster, she would then immediately fight it and, if captured, never rest in her attempts to escape and help the Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith as played so beautifully by Elisabeth Sladen is nothing less than the heart of the 50 year old science fiction series. Elisabeth Sladen portrayed Sarah Jane from "THE TIME WARRIOR" in December 1973 until "THE HAND OF FEAR" in October 1976. She returned for "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983, "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993, "SCHOOL REUNION" in April 2006, "THE STOLEN EARTH/JOURNEY'S END" in June/July 2008 and "THE END OF TIME" in January 2010. She also starred in the spinoff series "K-9 & COMPANY" and "THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES". Elisabeth Sladen died in 2011.
And there you have it: my favourite 20 companions. However, allow me to take a minute to list a few honourable mentions -- three excellent companions who only appeared in the Big Finish audio adventures but are no less cherished companions in my heart:
ERIMEM - Erimemushinteperem is an Egyptian warrior princess and the daughter of Pharoah Amenhotep II who joined the 5th Doctor and Peri on the Tardis when it was feared that, since historically she was not destined to succeed her father to the throne, she may be killed during a revolution designed to prevent a woman from becoming pharaoh of Egypt. A leader of armies, Erimem was eminently capable of taking care of herself and has been known to break the arm of a man who pinched her bum! She and Nicola Bryant's Peri (pictured above with their Doctor) made a terrific team (shame Peri was utilized to much better effect in the audios than on the TV series). Caroline Morris first played Erimem in the Big Finish DOCTOR WHO audio "THE EYE OF THE SCORPION" in 2001.
CHARLEY POLLARD - Charlotte Elspeth Pollard was born the day the Titanic sank into a well-to-do English family. While attempting to get to a meeting with a man in Singapore in 1930, Charley stows away on the Airship R-101 disguised as a male member of the crew when the 8th Doctor turns up in time for the craft's imminent destruction. Against every law of time, the Doctor prevents Charley from dying in the crash by whisking her away in the Tardis. Naturally, there are consequences. Charley fancies herself as something of an Edwardian adventuress and, after a while, admits to fancying the Doctor as well. Many instances of time problems will become evident over the years of audio adventures due to Charley's having cheated death. India Fisher first played Charley in the Big Finish DOCTOR WHO audio adventure "STORM WARNING" in 2001.
DR. EVELYN SMYTHE - And I've saved the best for last. The very first original companion created by the Big Finish DOCTOR WHO audio line, Evelyn remains the most beloved. She's literally the opposite of everything we've come to expect in a companion; she's getting on towards becoming elderly with the infirmities that come with age, she has a tendency to argue most charmingly with the 6th Doctor (to his chagrin) and she is very VERY fond of cake and hot cocoa. Nevertheless, she is strong in her convictions and brave when the situation arises. A university history professor, she first encounters the Doctor when he crashes her lecture and interrupts it with an incessant electronic beeping. Soon the Doctor is back at her digs being dished up a nice slice of cake when they realize she and all her ancestors are slowly being erased from history. Heading back in time to see what's going on, the Doctor aims for Elizabethan England but instead ends up a little earlier during the reign of Bloody Queen Mary. By the end of the adventure, Evelyn invites herself onto the Tardis to continue adventuring . . . whether the Doctor likes it or not! Their friendly arguments and bickering back and forth are so delightfully written and beautifully acted at to be the highlights of every story. A truly lovable companion!
NOT BEEN FEELING TOO WELL THIS WEEKEND SO I'VE BEEN QUIETLY LISTENING TO A PLETHORA OF OLD RADIO SHOWS TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. And one of my favourite comedians of all-time is Fred Allen. I've listened to a half a dozen or so episodes of Fred's programmes including TOWN HALL TONIGHT, TEXACO STAR THEATER and THE FRED ALLEN SHOW (including both versions of the classic "Mr. and Mrs. Morning Radio" episodes with Tallulah Bankhead). The first time I heard this classic hilarious sketch was when I took out the LP "A GOLDEN AGE OF COMEDY" from my Middle School library; it featured a bevy of radio comedians from The Mad Russian, Jack (Baron Munchausen) Pearl, Fibber McGee & Molly, Laurel & Hardy to Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason (!), Red Skelton and George Burns & Gracie Allen. You can read my little write-up on this album by clicking here. And you may also enjoy my homemade album cover for the two different versions of THE FRED ALLEN SHOW episode which aired; the original was broadcast May 5, 1946 and the repeat was actually re-performed on October 27, 1946. Oddly enough, the version heard on the GOLDEN AGE OF COMEDY album is from NEITHER of these broadcast so it's still a mystery where THAT version comes from! The premise for the sketch is that Fred and Tallulah are lampooning the early morning radio shows which were abundant all over radio at the time; a husband and wife team would exchange pleasantries and gossip while shilling every possible product their sponsors could cram into the show. For your listening pleasure, I have put the audio for "Mr. and Mrs. Morning Radio" over in the box on the right; just click on it and play the audio! Oh and I almost forgot! Fred Allen actually reprised this comedy routine in a movie with Ginger Rogers playing his wife in WE'RE NOT MARRIED (which also starred a young Marilyn Monroe!). You can also watch a video clip from the movie by clicking here which will take you to our sister blog THE COBWEBBED ALCOVE. But I digress. . .
Now Fred Allen was known as a verbal wit (being a radio comedian will do that) but here I thought I'd post a few examples of some visual funniness from an ancient magazine article. And you can biggify the images by clicking on them and then you'll be able to read the text too. Enjoy!
IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO SEE A LIST OF THE FAVOURITE FILMS OF NOTED DIRECTORS, FILM CRITICS, ETC.
In 1972, Andrei Tarkovsky (the maestro who gave us such masterpieces as ANDREI RUBLEV, STALKER and SOLARIS and probably the most famous Russian director since Eisenstein) told critic Leonid Koslov his ten favourite films. So here they are (in no particular order):
- DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST (dir. Robert Bresson)
- MOUCHETTE (dir. Robert Bresson)
- PERSONA (dir. Ingmar Bergman)
- WINTER LIGHT (dir. Ingmar Bergman)
- WILD STRAWBERRIES (dir. Ingmar Bergman)
- NAZARIN (dir. Luis Bunuel)
- CITY LIGHTS (dir. Charlie Chaplin)
- SEVEN SAMURAI (dir. Akira Kurosawa)
- UGETSU (dir. Kenji Mizoguchi)
- WOMAN IN THE DUNES (dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara)
Also when asked whom were his favourite directors, Tarkovsky listed the above-mentioned Bergman, Bresson, Bunuel, Kurosawa and Mizoguchi as well as Jean Vigo, Michelangelo Antonioni and Carl Theodor Dreyer. Not too shabby, there, Andy!
AS IT IS THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF DOCTOR WHO, I THOUGHT I'D TAKE A LOOK BACK AND RANK THE DOCTORS.
Any list of one's favourite Doctors must of necessity be subjective and, as they say, usually your first Doctor is your favourite. And that stands true with me, I'm afraid. It was, I believe, sometime in 1978 when family friend Ronnie asked my Dad if I'd seen that new British science fiction show they just started airing on the local PBS station. I hadn't but I soon did! I even remember the first episode I ever saw: it was THE PYRAMIDS OF MARS and it featured those nearly forgotten "previously on Doctor Who" intros and outros narrated by Howard DaSilva (which can now be found as special features on some of the DVDs). And since we all know which Doctor starred in THE PYRAMIDS OF MARS, I guess we all know my favourite Doctor then. Am I bovvered? Nah, cause it's. . .
1. TOM BAKER - He'll always be the best Doctor for me. The shock of curly brown hair, the toothy grin, the ridiculously immense scarf, the naughty Marx Brothers wit. Oh, and that rich, brown voice! All combine to make the perfect Doctor. And besides all that, he walks in eternity as well! When Tom Baker was on . . . he was ON! During his "golden era" before he had gotten weary of the role, Baker had an almost infallible touch walking the line between heroic and humourous, charming and egotistical, dramatic and witty. He was the longest-serving Doctor and had some of the best storylines in the history of the programme. Possibly my favourite of them all is THE SEEDS OF DOOM: an epic six-parter which combines THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD and THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS and echoes of THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT for good measure. The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith are sent to an Arctic research station where Krynoid seed pods have fallen to earth (hey, shades of QUATERMASS 2 as well) which quickly infect a scientist who slowly transforms into a half human/half vegetable monster which starts growing and growing. All this and an insane "Camp Freddie" playing organ music to his greenhouse full of plants and you've got a winner! More of the best of the best Tom Baker storylines are: THE ARK IN SPACE, GENESIS OF THE DALEKS, PYRAMIDS OF MARS, THE SEEDS OF DOOM, THE ROBOTS OF DEATH, THE TALONS OF WENG-CHIANG, IMAGE OF THE FENDAHL, THE STONES OF BLOOD, CITY OF DEATH, THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN.
2. PATRICK TROUGHTON - Oddly enough, the second Doctor is number 2 on my list. When first Doctor William Hartnell was being phased out of the programme due to ill health, prevailing wisdom would seem to dictate that that was the end of the TV series. However, in a brilliant stroke of televisual genius, somebody (and I'm still not sure who) came up with the idea that, since the Doctor's an alien, why doesn't he just "regenerate" his form so we can cast another actor. And the second brilliant coup was to cast Patrick Troughton. The programme could've failed with the casting of an unsuitable actor, but Troughton not only managed to successfully take over the role but to increase ratings and make the role his own. With his Beatles mop-top (some would also say Moe Howard's hairdo), his recorder, his giddy aunt and his "space hobo" ensemble, Patrick Troughton was a perfect fit for the role. He specialized in playing dumber than he was in order to outwit his foes by making them disregard the Doctor as a serious threat. Troughton was also beautifully adept at comedy and showed himself especially deft when he established the comedy double act of the Doctor and Jamie (Frazer Hines). One of my favourite moments occurs in "TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN" when the Doctor and Jamie are trying to coax Victoria into the scary tomb entrance; thinking Victoria is following right behind them, both the Doctor and Jamie reach out to hold her hand but instead hold each other's hand as they mince in through the doorway -- then each turns to the other in a comedy take and hurriedly unclasp their hands. Sadly, there are only a handful of surviving Patrick Troughton complete storylines still in existence after the BBC criminally wiped many of the tapes; but of what survives the best of the best Troughton stories are: THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN, THE ICE WARRIORS, THE WEB OF FEAR (only the first episode exists but it's a corker), THE MIND ROBBER, THE INVASION, THE SEEDS OF DEATH.
3. MATT SMITH - The 11th Doctor's first story "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" is the best regeneration episode of any Doctor. Full stop. And that's when I knew Matt Smith was going to be something special. Only 10 minutes into the episode, Smith owned the role. The absolutely perfect performance between Matt Smith and Caitlin Blackwood (Amelia Pond) just had to make a believer out of any Doctor Who fan. A recent examination of the 11th Doctor's tenure by the superb Verity podcast brought to my attention to particularly great rapport the 11th Doctor has with children and Matt Smith's first episode features some of the best moments in the entire half century of the programme! Fish fingers and custard, indeed! I haven't wanted to try some food concoction I saw on a TV show so badly since I saw Whoppcorn on SEALAB 2021! And then, as if the charming/quirky/funny aspect of the character hadn't been established in the first episode, the second episode (THE BEAST BELOW) found Smith's serious acting chops on display and I knew he would make a formidable Doctor by the end of the second episode; his nearly-tearful outburst when he shouts he has nothing to say to humans today. Stunning! Matt Smith's quirky physicality (I believe Steven Moffatt has referred to his lead actor as being like a giraffe!), the bowtie (bowties are cool), the 12-year-old's physiognomy slapped onto a head that resembles an Easter Island statue and his immense charm make the 11th Doctor a keeper. The best of the best of Matt Smith's stories (and they ain't finished yet, folks) are: THE ELEVENTH HOUR, THE BEAST BELOW, THE TIME OF ANGELS/FLESH AND STONE, THE PANDORICA OPENS/THE BIG BANG, THE IMPOSSIBLE ASTRONAUT/DAY OF THE MOON, A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR/LET'S KILL HITLER, THE GIRL WHO WAITED, THE WEDDING OF RIVER SONG, ASYLUM OF THE DALEKS, THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN, THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR.
4. JON PERTWEE - the dandy or the judo master? Action man or clothes horse? All of the above and more? Known primarily for comedy roles, Pertwee took over as the third Doctor when immense changes were at work in DOCTOR WHO. After some declining viewing figures and Troughton's departure, Pertwee was taking over as a Doctor who was being exiled to Earth like a Gallifreyan Silver Surfer. In fact, we had just learned of the Time Lords' existence and now they forcibly cause the Doctor to regenerate and banish him to Earth in "the near-future" (let's not get into THAT whole debate as to exactly WHEN these stories occur in time) where he will land on the payroll of U.N.I.T. as the Earth becomes rather busy with alien invasions and the Master's (Roger Delgado) machinations. Also, the programme would now be broadcast in colour for the first time. Pertwee's ruffled shirts and velvet jackets, his Venusian martial arts and very action-friendly physicality, his love of gadgets and any vehicle that he could drive fast (and that includes his yellow roadster Bessie as well as the wacky "Whomobile"), and his tetchiness combined with a great warmth (especially towards Jo Grant [Katy Manning]) made his third Doctor often riveting to watch. I think the best of the best of the Third Doctor's stories are: SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE, INFERNO, THE DAEMONS, THE SEA DEVILS, THE GREEN DEATH.
5. CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON - Every planet has a North and the 9th Doctor apparently comes from it. Eccleston's Doctor successfully launched the 2005 "reboot" (Oh, how I hate that word); the revival of DOCTOR WHO could've easily been a flash in the pan and faded away almost as quickly as that 90's TV movie (more on THAT later) but Eccleston's Doctor managed to combine a forceful strength with a sometimes-goofiness (remember the scene when he and Rose were looking for something huge and round in the middle of the city?). Grungy leather jacket and buzzcut hair made him look like no other Doctor and proclaimed the series had entered the 21st century but Eccleston grounded his performance firmly in the show's history. Unfortunately, he only chose to stay for one series. Unfortunately, he has since chosen to pretend like he never did the role (at least that's how it seems sometimes) and doesn't want anything further to do with it. But these things don't take away from that wonderful year of stunning stories and a marvelous performance. The best of the best of Eccleston's superb season are: ROSE, DALEK, FATHER'S DAY, THE EMPTY CHILD/THE DOCTOR DANCES, BAD WOLF/THE PARTING OF THE WAYS
6. DAVID TENNANT - Surprise, surprise! Number 10 follows Number 9 on my list. However, we have now moved from the first half of my list featuring Doctors I "love" to the second half featuring Doctors I "like". Now, this isn't to say that I don't think Tennant was terrific in the role. But he could be a little . . . well . . . over the top sometimes with his Tennantisms. But who cares, his "hwooooaaaaawwwwws" and his mannerisms were still lovable and of the three "New Whos" he surely has the most reverence for DOCTOR WHO and it's fans. And when the role called for it, Tennant could deliver a brilliantly-acted performance; the man can act. And he cared. Besides that, he could get practically every cast and crew member to march in place lip-synching the Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" song so who couldn't love that?!?! The best of the best of Tennant's stories are: SCHOOL REUNION, THE GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE, ARMY OF GHOSTS/DOOMSDAY, GRIDLOCK, HUMAN NATURE/THE FAMILY OF BLOOD, BLINK, PARTNERS IN CRIME, TURN LEFT, THE STOLEN EARTH/JOURNEY'S END.
7. COLIN BAKER - WHAT?!?!?! I hear you gasp incredulously. Especially after you think about who Colin Baker has beaten to this list. And only a year ago, I'm sure old Sixie would've been down there near the bottom of my list. However, I can explain. Sure, Colin Baker's telly adventures were mostly crap. Sure, his tenure as the sixth Doctor was sabotaged not only by the BBC's (especially the head of the BBC's) intense hatred of the show but also by producer John Nathan-Turner's continuous string of bone-headed "ideas" ranging from that horrendous outfit to having the Doctor regenerate into an unlikeable, obnoxious individual who strangles his companion in his first episode (admittedly this aspect of a regeneration gone bad is interesting but it went on far too long) to the insistence on having an American companion and then casting a British actress who couldn't do an American accent in the role. Seriously, talk about an uphill battle; Colin Baker never stood a chance. And that's a shame because he wanted to play it differently but what could he do. He just had to soldier along amongst terrible ideas and corporate hostility until he was unceremoniously dumped from the role. But a nice thing has happened in the intervening years: Colin Baker has found something of a Doctor Who renaissance in his truly marvelous Big Finish audio adventures in which he has proven himself to be the hands-down best Doctor in these audio productions. We can only sit back and lament that Colin Baker was so ill-used on television. And that is why the best of the best of Colin Baker's storylines will feature the Big Finish audio adventures rather heavily in this list: THE MARK OF THE RANI (even though it's near rubbish but it's got the Rani AND the Master so shtoom), THE TWO DOCTORS and . . . well that's pretty much all I can recommend as far as the telly adventures but next are the superb audio adventures (with more to be added as I listen to them, I'm sure): THE MARIAN CONSPIRACY, THE SPECTRE OF LANYON MOOR, DOCTOR WHO AND THE PIRATES, THE ONE DOCTOR.
8. SYLVESTER MCCOY - The seventh Doctor suffered quite a bit from the same situation as the sixth Doctor. McCoy's first story "TIME AND THE RANI" is universally (and rightly) considered to be awful. And it is! Indeed, much of the McCoy's early tenure in the role is pretty bad. But again, that wasn't his fault. He had a personality and a costume imposed upon him to a great extent by the ever-present (and ever-wanting-to-leave-the-show) John Nathan-Turner. The cotton candy colour scheme of the early McCoy era is just atmosphere-killing and McCoy's comical bumpkin take on the part is not particularly enjoyable. However, a funny thing happened on the way to the final season of DOCTOR WHO: it got really good! Unfortunately, it was a little bit of "too little too late" and the show would be "put on hiatis" in 1989 because the viewing figures by then were in the basement despite the vast improvement of the episodes. McCoy got to put some mystery and some seriousness in the role and he was partnered with the wonderful Sophie Aldred as Ace. It would've been so nice to see what the series would've gone on to become. The best of the best of McCoy's era are: REMEMBRANCE OF THE DALEKS, BATTLEFIELD, GHOST LIGHT, THE CURSE OF FENRIC.
9. WILLIAM HARTNELL - He was the first. Crotchedy, bossy, petulant, often cross, sometimes cowardly. What a take on the hero of a TV series! But I must admit that, hard as he is to warm to, I've warmed somewhat to William Hartnell over the years. Sure, he often disappeared from the middle of storylines and sure he suffered from outrageous "billy fluffs" but be fair, he was suffering from ill health and arteriosclerosis was causing him to forget his lines and fluff them. But in spite of all that, Hartnell had a fairly passionate proprietary protectiveness for DOCTOR WHO and could display incredible flashes of warmth and caring in certain scenes as well as several very affective soliloquies. He was more than just a grumpy old Time Lord and the best of the best of Hartnell's reign are: AN UNEARTHLY CHILD (just the first ever episode and NOT the crap caveman storyline which followed in the next three episodes), THE AZTECS, THE REIGN OF TERROR, THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH, THE TIME MEDDLER, THE MASSACRE (only the audio exists), THE GUNFIGHTERS (yeah, you heard me!), THE WAR MACHINES.
10. PETER DAVISON - Some may be shocked at the rather low ranking of the fifth Doctor. Some (among them David Tennant) consider him their favourite. But I have always fallen into the camp that was rather underwhelmed by Davison's tenure as the Doctor and agree with Sue Perryman's evaluation that the fifth Doctor was rather wet. Being the huge Tom Baker fan I am, there was a naturally letdown when Baker left the show and Davison took over. This was the first time I'd gone through a regeneration of the Doctor and I was quite disappointed. I remember I watched the beginning of "CASTROVALVA" (Davison's first story) and quickly neglected to watch DOCTOR WHO regularly after that. Indeed, I only caught an episode here and there and only saw the vast majority of Peter Davison's stories in recent years on DVD. And I must say that they're all rather bland. I also always thought that Peter Davison (who I had watched for years before on "ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL") wasn't really playing the Doctor that much but was just being Peter Davison. And fair is fair, Tom Baker as the Doctor was pretty much Tom Baker. However, it worked for Tom because of his giant personality and Peter has . . . shall we say . . . a less giant one. Be that as it may, I still very much like Davison as the Doctor . . . if that's not too much of a contradiction. In fact, I like ALL the Doctors on this list very much indeed. But there's gotta be a ranking and this is how they fell into place. So the best of the best of Davison's storylines are: THE VISITATION, EARTHSHOCK, THE FIVE DOCTORS (yes, even though it's rubbish), THE CAVES OF ANDROZANI.
11. PAUL MCGANN - Fair's fair; Paul McGann never had a fair shot at the role. One (lousy) TV movie in 1996 does not a tenure make. And that TV movie is just such a dog's breakfast that, no matter what McGann could do, he wasn't going to rank high on this list. That having been said, McGann (like Colin Baker) has had his own renaissance as the Doctor thanks to his long run appearing in Big Finish's DOCTOR WHO audio adventures. And this will account for my including in his best of the best some Big Finish audios - well of course I am. I mean, he only appeared once so what else could I do? And the Big Finish audios I've heard knock hell out of that dreary TV movie. So the best of the best of the eighth Doctor are ALL audio adventures: STORM WARNING, THE CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT, NEVERLAND.
