Doctor Who: Other Dimensions - The Sixth Doctor's Last Adventure

The 'Doctor Who: Other Dimensions' series continues as we take a look at the story behind what we saw on TV...
 

'I'm a Time Lord who's out of time.'

New Doctor Who is coming to Big Finish!

Today brings the exciting announcement that the independent audio drama company, Big Finish, that makes classic Doctor Who adventures is doing the same for new Who!

This thrilling news has been a long time coming - for years, the new series was completely off limits to the people of Big Finish, until they recently announced spin-off series featuring Kate Stewart and Osgood of the TV series' UNIT and Captain Jack Harkness himself in a new Torchwood continuation. But now - finally - it looks like all kinds of heroes and villains from post-2005 Who can interact with classic characters.

Firstly, the head-lining event is that River Song will be meeting the Eighth Doctor, in a sequel to the Doom Coalition series which will be released next year. Personally, I think Alex Kingston and Paul McGann will make a brilliant pair, as McGann's Doctor is so much like the modern incarnations that he'll be right at home with River.

 

Clearly Big Finish can't get enough of River as the Doctor's wife will also star in her own series, The Diary of River Song, which will see Professor Song travel 'across space and time, seeking out the secret rulers of the universe.'

The inclusion of River into the world of classic Who should be loads of fun - I would particularly like to see the flirtatious River meet her future husband in his first, crotchety, incarnation. And, as Big Finish also have John Barrowman onbaord, why not have a Captain Jack-River Song team-up?

But, wait, that's not all. Also heading his own series will be that favourite Doctor Who character... Winston Churchill! Narrated by the TV show's Ian McNiece, Winnie's adventures will see him meet the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. And Daleks by the look of it.

Bizarrely, The Churchill Years will also feature a guest appearance by Danny Horn, reprising his role of the Scrooge-like Kazran Sardick from 2010's A Christmas Carol. As a character who had such a transformative story arc in his sole television outing, he seems an unlikely returning figure but I'm intrigued to find out why he's back - and teaming up with Churchill.

And that's still not all. The announcement that brings the most fannish thrill to the hearts of whovians is the Classic Doctors, New Monsters series which will see - yep, you guessed it - Doctors Five, Six, Seven and Eight facing foes of the 21st century era. Namely, the Weeping Angels (not quite sure how these silent creatures'll work on audio), the Sycorax (always thought they deserved a second go on the show), the Judoon (their booming voice is well suited to radio drama) and apparently Sontarans from the Time War. Which it seems Big Finish may be able to document now...

I, for one, am very excited for these new adventures - as it suggests such a wealth more to come. Who's to say they can't tempt modern Doctors and companions - even, dare I say it, Christopher Eccleston - to record some full-cast adventures? Or can they get Georgia Moffet onboard to create a spin-off series for the Doctor's daughter, Jenny? Or how about doing that Paternoster Gang spin-off that is such a popular idea? Or what about...

In short, this is exciting news.

The Best Doctor Who Comic Stories

Continuing with the comic book-theme going on here this month, it's time to turn the page to that ever-present topic here at Scribble Creatures; Doctor Who. The long-held tradition of Doctor Who comics is, in my humble opinion, the most underrated of all the mediums in which Who is produced - and also the oldest; even the First Doctor was accompanied by a concurrent comic strip version of himself back in the day. To me, it is the best off-screen Doctor Who; while it is wonderful to hear the original actors in their roles, audio dramas lose the vital visual aspect to Doctor Who while the novels, although they have the space to breath and add more detail, can never reproduce the pace of the television series. So join us as we travel to the two-dimensional world to look at the best Doctor Who comic stories ever. Vworp vworp! 


The Shape Shifter 

While also having the visuals and the pace of the TV show, the comics also have the privilege of being able to be stranger and wilder than the confines of television may allow. The Sixth Doctor comic, 'The Shape Shifter', is a prime example of this as it introduces a new companion for the Doctor; Frobisher, a talking penguin. Yes, you read that right. Frobisher, really an alien shapeshifter/private eye who enjoys the form of a penguin, is one of the great Doctor Who comic creations and the epitome of how weird and wonderful Doctor Who comics can be, pushing the boundaries of sanity and what is acceptable further than the TV series ever could. I think we'd all love to see Peter Capaldi p-p-pick up a penguin on his travels some time in the future...

Here's an example of everyone's favourite wisecracking penguin in action:

The Tides of Time

One of the great freedoms of the comic strips is that they are not restrained by the budget of a television product but by the limits of the imagination, being able to depict exotic alien landscapes and strange alien creatures without relying on sets and rubber suits. This classic Fifth Doctor comic shows this perfectly. One of the strangest, most surreal Doctor Who stories in any medium, 'The Tides of Time' sees the evil alien demon Melanicus trying to destroy the whole of reality, leading the Doctor on a quest through time and space to stop him - from English village Stockbridge (which would become a recurring location in the comics, right up to the present day) to Gallifrey by way of a giant bathtub. Told you it was surreal. The writing is fresh and inspired while the artwork - by future Watchmen man Dave Gibbons - is fantastic. Still don't know what the giant bathtub's about though...

The Lodger

Before it was one of Doctor Who's funniest ever episodes starring Matt Smith alongside James Corden, 'The Lodger' was a comic, penned by series writer Gareth Roberts, which sees the Tenth Doctor move in with Mickey Smith for a week, when the TARDIS drifts off into space with Rose Tyler still inside. With many of the same beats from the episode (including a much more ouch-inducing version of the sonic-screwdriver/electric toothbrush idea, see image), the comic gives the oft-overlooked character of Mickey his dues as we truly understand his frustration with the Doctor - not only has he ran off with his girlfriend, here he takes over his life. Just as funny and heartfelt as its TV counterpart, this is a fine instance of how the comic can impact on the main series.

The Glorious Dead

Since Doctor Who was off the air for nigh on ten years after his debut in 1996, Doctor Who Magazine (the producer of all the comics on this list) had complete free reign to do anything they wanted with the Eighth Doctor - and, thankfully, they did some great things.
One such great thing was the finale to the 'Return of the Master' arc which saw, I'm sure you've guessed it, the return of the Doctor's old enemy, the Master, after he was swallowed by the TARDIS in the television movie. This time, however, the Master has become a religious zealot after he has glimpsed the Glory, the Omniversal Spectrum, the wheel on which the whole of existence turns. As per an ancient prophecy, the Master wishes to fight the Doctor for control of the Glory, catching Earth in the crossfire - where else? Spanning twelve issues, it's epic in size and scope, yet still finds time for another of the comic's great characters; Kroton, the Cyberman with a soul who becomes one of the Doctor's companions. Simply glorious storytelling.

Oblivion

And another Eighth Doctor story arc finale takes the top spot. While the previous entry on our list demonstrated the comic's depth of storytelling, 'Oblivion' shows the depth of characterisation the comic can achieve. For several stories, the Doctor's companion, Izzy, has been trapped in the body of alien fish girl, Destrii. As an insecure teenager who was already uncomfortable in her own body, she is really not having a good time in an alien one. This all comes to a head here - as the Doctor and the real Destrii (in Izzy's body) have to rescue Izzy from Destrii's homeworld of Oblivion.
The greatest thing about the story is certainly the exploration of Izzy's character as she comes to terms with herself and her own identity, eventually accepting her own repressed homosexuality. Just like the best of Doctor Who companions - of which she is one - Izzy has grown up and leaves the TARDIS for good. Stories such as 'Oblivion', that contain the range of imagination and the same level of characterisation as its parent series, make the Eighth Doctor comics one of my favourite eras of the time traveller in any medium, proving that the comic strips can be the best of Doctor Who. I'm not being funny.

The Twelve Regenerations Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the web and social media, not a creature was stirring not even on Wikipedia. Apart from me, that is. It's Christmas Eve, which can only mean one thing - its the Doctor Who special tomorrow! As you must already be aware, this final special of the show's 50th anniversary year will see the final hour of Matt Smith, before he regenerates into Peter Capaldi. And so, in fittingly festive decoration, what follows is a look at the Doctor's previous regenerations, which coincidentally happens to be twelve. It's 'The Time of the Doctor' tomorrow but first it's time for a Christmas song...

'On the twelve days of Christmas, a Time Lord gave to me...'

                                                      '...One Wearing Thin...'
In: 'The Tenth Planet' (1966)
Cause: Old age, died in the TARDIS
Verdict: The original regeneration still holds it's own after fifty years. While its sad that the First Doctor doesn't bow out in a blaze of glory, the thrill of it being the very first shines out. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4



'...Two's Change of Appearance...'
In: 'The War Games' (1969)
Cause: Exiled to Earth and forced to 'change his appearance'
Verdict: While it is a game-changing moment for Doctor Who - the Doctor's own race is finally revealed and he is exiled to Earth- the regeneration itself is let down by not featuring the change into Pertwee. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 3

'...Three's Valedictory Victory...' 
In: 'Planet of the Spiders' (1974)
Cause: Radiation poisoning on Metebelis Three
Verdict: A touching, brave swansong for the Third Doctor, and the first Doctor-Death to be thematically resonant within the story; this serial features much Buddhist symbolism, including the idea of reincarnation... 'Here we go again...' See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4


'...Four's Final Fall...'

In: 'Logopolis' (1981)
Cause: Fall from radio telescope at the Pharos Institute
Verdict: The bombastic and eccentric Fourth Doctor gets a surprisingly low-key downbeat end although Baker's tenure is celebrated with a montage of past villains and companions. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 3 1/2

'...Five's Significant Sacrifice...'
In: 'Caves of Androzani' (1984)
Cause: Suffered from Spectrox Toxemia on Androzani Minor
Verdict: Sacrificing himself to save his companion, the Fifth Doctor is gifted the perfect death of a Doctor. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 5

'...Six's Silly Slip...'
In: 'Time of the Rani' (1987)
Cause: Rani's hijack of the TARDIS/Fell from exercise bike/ Colin Baker was sacked
Verdict: Sadly the definite weakest regeneration. At the start of the episode, the evil Time Lady the Rani attacks the TARDIS, entering to find an already-regenerating Doctor, laying prone next to an exercise bike. Colin Baker wasn't even brought back for the scene - incoming Doctor Sylvester McCoy had to wear a wig...
Regeneration-ometer: 1

'...Seven's Risky Resurrection...'
In: 'Doctor Who: The Movie' (1996)
Cause: Botched operation to remove bullet in San Francisco
Verdict: A solid regeneration for the Seventh Doctor that makes use of an interesting Frankenstein's Monster comparison as the Doctor is reanimated from the dead in a morgue.
Regeneration-ometer: 3

'...Eight's Grave Decision...' 
In: 'The Night of the Doctor' (2013)
Cause: Spaceship crash on Karn, guided by the Sisterhood
Verdict: A long-over due finale for the Eighth Doctor was given to us this year, forming an integral part of the ongoing story of Doctor Who in that it details the beginnings of the War Doctor. See here for (no) more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4

'...War's Reborn...'
In: 'The Day of the Doctor' (2013)
Cause: Old age, died in the TARDIS
Verdict: One of the great things about 'The Day of the Doctor' (and there were many) was that it gave us the complete set of regenerations! After realising he was still the Doctor, before he forgot the good he had done, the aging War Doctor accepted his regeneration with dignity. Here's to John Hurt's Doctor! May we see more of him in the future...
Regeneration-ometer: 4

'...Nine's Triumphant Transformation...'
In: 'The Parting of the Ways' (2005)
Cause: Consumed the power of the time vortex
Verdict: Most probably the greatest regeneration, fed by excellent writing and fine performances from Eccleston and Billie Piper as the woman he saves. The Doctor saving his friend and dying with a brave smile on his face. It's how he should always go. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 5

'...Ten's Cheeky Cheat...'
In: 'The Stolen Earth' (2008)
Cause: Shot by a Dalek
Verdict: Played for shock value by Russell T Davies, this sneaky surprise  made us really think Ten's time was up - until he shot the regenerative energy into a handy nearby mcguffin. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4

'And the Actual End of Ten...'
In: 'The End of Time' (2010)
Cause: Slow radiation poisoning in Naismith mansion, died in the TARDIS
Verdict: An emotional farewell for one of the most beloved of the Doctor's incarnations. It is simultaneously made by its indulgence and hindered by it. I'm afraid 'I don't want to go' is still a bit too much for this fan. Here's hoping that in the Doctor's next, thirteenth (and surely final) regeneration, he holds himself with a little more decorum.
Regeneration-ometer: 4

As Christmas Eve draws to a close, it's time for Matt Smith's last bow, like all his other selves. The Eleventh Hour is over, the clock is striking Twelve's...

Have a very merry Christmas!

Doctor Who's Greatest Moments: Part Three - The 80s

Taking a break from the gothicism for one day, we come to the third in the ongoing series of posts dedicated to Doctor Who's greatest moments. This month, it's the eighties.
After two decades of being one of the nation's most popular programmes, it was always going to be tough for Doctor Who to keep up the momentum so, to do so, the people behind the show made a sharp change of track. After, the larger-than-life Fourth Doctor cavorted about, saving the universe every Saturday teatime, the eighties saw the show develop a harder edge, with increasing violence and a growing streak of dark in the Doctor's character. Occasionally, it did stray to far - the most famous example being the newly-born Sixth Doctor's strangling of his companion! However, the soul of Doctor Who was still there and while there are moments of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors tenures that are perhaps misfires, it has more than its fair share of excellent parts, with the decade providing some of Doctor Who's best scenes.

10. 'It's the end... but the moment has been prepared for...' -Logopolis

As it still feels part of 70s Who but does fall into the 80s, the demise of the Fourth Doctor comes in at number 10. After saving the universe (see, told you) from collapsing in on itself - in the midst of halting a last-ditch chance of the Master's for universal conquest, the Doctor falls from a radio telescope and, surrounded by his friends, he dies. With the inclusion of the ethereal Watcher (a wraith-like spectre of the future Doctor), this is a strangely enigmatic and melancholy end for such a popular and lively incarnation of our hero.


9. The Time Lords on trial! - The Trial of a Time Lord

The Time Lords have captured the Doctor and put him on trial for his various 'crimes'. However, this is the Doctor - the brash, vocal Sixth Doctor - and he will not go down lightly. Discovering the full extent of the Time Lords' corruption from the Master, of all people, the Doctor lambasts his people for their villainy. 'Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen,' he says. 'They're all in the nursery compared to us. Ten thousand years of absolute power - that's what it takes to be really corrupt.' It's a strong scene on its own merits but also stands up as a great showcase for Colin Baker's often unfairly judged portrayal of the character. It works well because it plays to his strengths - his Doctor loves telling people off and here he gives the Time Lords a hell of a talking to.

8. 'His days like crazy paving.' - Dragonfire

The Seventh Doctor's first series is one still finding its feet, but in the overall uneven finale 'Dragonfire', there comes a moment of magic. At the end of another adventure, the Doctor's companion Mel decides to leave the TARDIS to go travelling with space Del-boy Sabalom Glitz. A sad, contemplative Doctor then talks about the difficulties of living life out-of-order like he does and asks her to remember 'the homeless traveller in his police box' when she's enjoying her life 'all in a neat pattern.' It's an unexpectedly touching scene very well-played by Sylvester McCoy with a twinkle in his eye. Casting the Doctor as a timeless wizard who sometimes laments his 'crazy paving' life, it's simply quintessential Doctor Who.

 7. In a Glass Dalek - Revelation of the Daleks

On the other end of the Who scale, we have one of the show's nastiest ever scenes. In the cellars of the corrupt Tranquil Repose facility on Necros, Natasha Stengos is searching for her father who is meant to be in cryogenic storage but she suspects has met a more sinister fate. And she's right - in a Dalek casing made of glass, she discovers what her father has become - a Dalek mutant. As Stengos battles his new Dalek nature, he pleads for his daughter to kill him to put him out of his misery.
One of the most extreme examples of how violent the series could be at this time, there's a convincing argument to be made that this does not belong in Doctor Who but it's this very reason that makes the moment so riveting. This version of the show was totally unpredictable with apparently even this level of horror up for grabs, which makes it all the more exciting to watch.

6. 'Every decision creates ripples...' - Remembrance of the Daleks

There's many excellent moments to pick from the fan-favourite corker 'Remembrance of the Daleks' - the first occasion of a Dalek hovering up the stairs, the return to the show's beginnings at the Totter's Lane Junkyard and Coal Hill School or the moment the Doctor tricks Davros into destroying Skaro (a significant event in the context of the Time War). However, amongst all this action there's a tiny gem of a scene where the Doctor takes a breather from dealing with a Dalek Civil War breaking out in London. Visiting a cafe, he talks to the man behind the till about the affect every decision has on the rest of the world, clearly feeling the weight of what he does on his shoulders. The soul-searching Doctor gets a simple, yet inspiring reply from the man: 'life's like that. Best thing is just to get on with it.'

5. The F(our) Doctors! - The Five Doctors

After travelling across the Death Zone on Gallifrey, facing a plethora of their greatest foes, Doctors One to Three and Five plus their respective companions meet in the Dark Tower to find the tomb of Rassilon together and foil the corrupt President Borusa's plans for immortality. Now, isn't that a thrilling sentence? There's something very special about Doctor Who anniversary celebrations - logic is thrown to the wind and everything becomes a big old party. Which is an apt description for this scene as the Doctors and companions greet each other like old friends at a social occasion. There's the Brigadier and Sarah Jane and - shock horror - the Master shows up at his most pantomimic to stop the fun. It's indulgent, of course, but on its birthday it's allowed to be. 'The Day of the Doctor', we are all waiting for you...


4. There's something about Ace - The Curse of Fenric

Classic Doctor Who rarely had companion-centric stories. The Doctor was clearly the lead. However, the Seventh Doctor's era was a partnership between the Doctor and his companion, Ace, with several episodes exploring her demons that she ran away from. This comes to a head in the penultimate story before the show's great hiatus when a long story arc (extremely unusual in the classic series) is tied up; and Ace's origins are revealed. She has been a pawn in a chess game of unanimous proportions...
In the days of the mystery of the Impossible Girl, this may seem like bread-and-butter Doctor Who but in 1989 this was groundbreaking stuff for the series. And proof of how the show was possibly more inventive than it had been in years, right before its plug was pulled.....

3. Adric's Death - Earthshock

The Cybermen have returned and they are at full-force. With them planning to crash a cargo ship into the Earth, the Doctor is out of options and must escape before it explodes. However, the Doctor's companion, Adric is still onboard - trying to halt the ship's destruction. He's close but a lone Cyberman destroys the controls. Unable to go back and save him, the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan are forced to watch as the ship explodes.
One of Doctor Who's most famous scenes, the death of Adric is a brilliantly unexpected moment and one that demonstrates an important reminder to the audience - the Doctor's world is not cosy and, occasionally, he can't save everyone, even his closest friends.

2. Saving Peri - The Caves of Androzani

At the opposite end of his life, at the conclusion of the stonkingly strong 'Caves Of Androzani' (voted fan's favourite ever story in a poll a few years ago), the Doctor and Peri are both dying from Spectrox Toxaemia. With his last ounce of strength, the Doctor battles the caves of Androzani to get the antidote - but there's only enough for one...
Haunted by Adric's death, he is determined to not let one more person die. And so the Doctor gives the antidote to Peri, someone he doesn't know all that well - having only met in the previous adventure. The poison finally gets the better of him and, in a fevered dream of his companions (and the Master), the Doctor dies. Not saving the world or the universe but sacrificing himself to save one single life, this is simply how every Doctor should regenerate.  His final word, by the way, is 'Adric...'

1. 'Come on, Ace, we've got work to do.' - Survival

At the end of the Seventh Doctor's third series, the Doctor and Ace walk off after another adventure. Over the top, we hear the Doctor give a final speech:
'There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream: people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea's getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do.'
These were the last words of the show's original run.
Now, hear me out. I do not mean the best thing about an entire decade of Doctor Who is when it ended. Its the bittersweet promise of more adventures to come, that we will not see, that makes the moment so affecting. Despite the series being cancelled, this is Doctor Who telling the world that it can be taken off screen but it will never end. The Doctor and his companion will always rattle around time and space in the TARDIS. And, one day, the TARDIS might materialise on your television screens once more.

Countdown to Doctor Who At 50: The Sixth Doctor

Kicking off our new format for counting down, one Doctor one month at a time, to Doctor Who's fiftieth birthday is the unpredictable, unforgettable and unquiet Sixth Doctor! Just don't mention carrot juice...

Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon.

                                                                          The Doctor (Colin Baker)

The Doctor changes. We all know that yet when it happens, we can't help but compare the New Man (or Woman, if that oft-discussed idea ever actually happens) with their predecessor, to see how different they are. Viewers have been doing it since Hartnell became Troughton to when Tennant turned into Smith and will be doing so far into the future. However, viewers will surely never witness a greater change between Doctors than when the pleasant, considerate Fifth Doctor morphed into Colin Baker's Sixth; a loud, abrasive, serf-absorbed hero. It was unexplored territory for the character of the Doctor. Gone was the loveable eccentricity and warmth of previous Doctors, the show's hero was now dangerous. Companions and viewers alike no longer knew if they could trust the Doctor. And this is why the Sixth Doctor is so important to the mythos, the development of the central character and, yes, the longevity of the show. Put simply, he put the Who back into Doctor Who.

You just have to take one look at this incarnation to know his defining characteristics. The garish coat, bright yellow trousers and, er, cat badge immediately sum him up. The Sixth Doctor was not big on subtlety.

He thought of himself as the greatest of his own regenerations - apparently his predecessor's charm didn't suit him much - and never doubted his abilities. Also, perhaps unique amongst other Doctors, he was more forgiving of violence. Infamously, in the throws of his regeneration he attempted to strangle his companion, Peri, and in the next adventure, he assaulted a policeman and followed the ordeal by comically sporting the officer's hat.

On the other hand, what is often forgotten about is that this Doctor also possessed great compassion, which sometimes shone underneath his brash exterior, and, of course, an eternal drive to fight wrongdoings across the universe. He was also a vegetarian, a trait later Doctors have lapsed in. As that proves, no other Doctors have his resolve. He would certainly agree on that point.

Although not the most social of Doctors, Old Sixie (as Colin Baker affectionately calls him) did have two travelling companions. However, his time with either wasn't plain sailing. First joining the Doctor in his fifth body, American botany student Perpigiullium 'Peri' Brown had perhaps the most strained relations of any companion with our hero. The two were often seen arguing in the TARDIS in between adventures and it could be said that the Doctor did seem to put up with her companionship rather than actually enjoy it. Their adventures were cut short when the Doctor was abducted by the Time Lords, leaving Peri to face the slug-like Mentors. Thankfully, she escaped and married an alien king. Aww. The Doctor's other companion, computer programmer (hey, it was a new job in the 80s) Melanie Bush underwent a softer relationship, although they initially met in the wrong order ( a pre-cursor for the Doctor and River's relationship). The Doctor mellowed wiith Mel, even letting her talk him into healthy eating. His diet plan was curtailed, however, by evil Time Lady the Rani hijacking the TARDIS, causing the Doctor to take a nasty fall...

Ones to Watch:

The Two Doctors


 The Sixth Doctor teams up with the Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and companion, Jamie McCrimmon, in this fun romp set in Spain with Sontarans! It's not perfect but both Doctors get a meaty role and the scenes between them are the best.                    



Revelation of the Daleks       

Davros is once again plotting to make his Daleks stronger than ever - and for some reason it involves him posing as the boss of a posh cryogenic freezing place! It lays the brickwork for the big Dalek Civil War in the Seventh Doctor's time and it's all played as a black comedy. Great stuff.





The Trial of a Time Lord

For the Sixth Doctor's last season, all 14 episodes were combined to form one story, the longest ever in Doctor Who. The Doctor is kidnapped and put on trial by the Time Lords, to face punishment for his 'crimes'. Its pacing is all over the place and the quality varies but it has its high points, mainly the vindictive prosecutor, the Valeyard. A man who has a dark secret about the Doctor...