DW50 Countdown: The Fourth Doctor (Part Two)

This month I'm amending my original statement to watch and review usually fan-forgotten episodes of Doctor Who to watching and reviewing a fan-favourite Doctor Who. The reason behind this is that not everyone who reads my blog will not be familiar (or interested enough - fraid I'm not with you there) to read about random Who stories but will hopefully want to read about some of the all-time greats! So, without further ado please proceed to my review of the tantalising 'Terror of the Zygons'...

Doctor Who in Scotland. It doesn't happen enough. Fans of the revived series will be familiar with the werewolf/ Queen Victoria episode Tooth and Claw which made great use of a spooky Scottish house. But the only other time is this story. And given how successful the setting is in this episode it's surprising there are not several more. The Scottish Highlands, thoroughly atmospheric in every creepy way, in Terror are among the best settings for a Doctor Who story ever. Factor in the only appearance of classic Who monsters, the Zygons, and the return of UNIT and you have one of the greats.

From the start the pace of this story is well done. We get some good model shots of an unseen Loch Ness Monster destroying an oil rig, Benton and the Brigadier calling the Doctor from Scotland and the TARDIS dropping off its inhabitants - including Doctor in fetching Scottish beret, Eleven would be proud of himself - just in time to meet a creepy local resident all in 10-15 minutes. And, as this is Doctor Who, we still get room for laughs and touching moments. You'll chuckle along with Sarah Jane upon spotting the Brig in a kilt and then enjoy one of the stand-out moments of the serial; The Doctor is complaining about being brought back to Earth and refuses to listen to any of the Brig's reasons, instead sulkily draping himself over a couch, hat covering his face. Then the Brig asks him; 'Do want others to die?' The Doctor lifts his beret up to reveal a sheepish grin and he promises he will help. It's a small scene in scale but one that perfectly demonstrates the Doctor and the Brig's complex friendship. Soon after the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry - our intrepid adventurers - are off investigating. And in no time at all, come across a Zygon...

Yes, I really couldn't hold off talking about the Zygons any further. They're quite simply one of the best executed creatures ever in the show. They are directed extremely skillfully throughout. In the first two episodes there's a lot of shadowed close-ups on Broton, the Zygon Warlord's piercing eyes and strange hands operating controls, accompanied by an impressive score. Like everything else in the story, it builds the sense of unease and anticipation in the viewer up and up until the big reveal. Thankfully, when that reveal comes it does not disappoint.  But top marks go to the designer who created their sucker-filled, barnacled, embryonic look. For a child, the Zygons must have a similar effect as the Daleks as they both have chillingly inhuman shapes. What's more, their ship is as equally well-designed with its coral-like control panel which must surely have been a huge influence on the look for the Ninth/Tenth Doctor's TARDIS. They also have an Invasion of the Bodysnatchers-type trick in that they can copy the form of humans to impersonate them... meaning you can never be sure who's really a Zygon and who isn't. Great stuff. What's more they're not only evil but pompous and arrogant as shown in this quote:

Zygon (to Harry): This is a Body Print - a Zygon device no doubt far beyond your understanding.'

It is a surprise they have never reappeared. As David Tennant's favourite monsters it was most likely they would return during his time but who knows in the future...

Apart from the great aliens and lashings of atmosphere, what lifts this story is also reliably good performances all round. Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier) is, of course, brilliant with that constant twinkle in his eye while John Levene is his fun sturdy self as Benton. However our real stars are the three-part TARDIS team. Split up for a sufficient portion of the tale they all get a slice of the action. Elisabeth Sladen, as Sarah Jane, enjoys herself immensely doing some independent investigating and shines with the talent that made her own recent show - in which she does just that - work so well. Tom Baker is also the captivating, charismatic leading man. He's the Fourth Doctor all over here. A stand-out scene being the inevitable moment when the Doctor meets the bad alien who proceeds to tell him his plan. This one though is cheekily acted and well-scripted. For instance, after Broton tells him a plan for world domination, the Doctor quips: 'I must say you think big. Isn't the Earth a bit large for just six of you?' It's a great moment that just gently makes fun of the usually-ignored fact that the show didn't have the funds to make loads of costumes. However, special plaudits go to Ian Marter in his last regular appearance as Harry Sullivan. Always endearingly bluff and brave, Marter is often overlooked in the great pantheon of Doctor Who companions but he's one of my favourites. Here he gets to act his socks off as Zygon Harry who, in another excellently atmospheric scene, chases Sarah through a barn. There's a great bit of acting from Sladen here as Sarah's reaction to finding out Harry has been turned evil is something akin to heartbreak - showing how much she cared for him. Its a shame there isn't further exploration of this.

Overall, it's really good writing all round. Even if Part Four literally loses the plot as it leaves the Highlands for the rubbery-looking Loch Ness Monster's assault on London, the first few episodes are scripted with great care and skill. Scattered throughout are great gags that many Who writers at the time would have left out. One such favourite is the Brig being on the phone to a 'madam' prime minister - before Maggie Thatcher was around. So consistently good is the writing that when I came across one jarring, techno-babbly line that are two-a-penny in many classic Who I was sure there was a joke hidden in there somewhere but failed to find one. Why don't you have a go:

Zygon: 'I underestimated his intelligence, but he underestimated the power of organic crystallography!'

Hmm, it's just a bad line , isn't it?

On the whole though, nearly everything works in this story. Snappy direction, strong performances, great atmosphere All of it comes together to form a well-told creepy story that still greatly entertains today.

DW50 Countdown: The Fourth Doctor (Part One)

Hello there! Grab yer jelly babies and decorative scarf as my countdown to Doctor Who's fiftieth anniversary this month means the Fourth Doctor. The definitive article, you might say.

          There's no point being grown-up if you can't be childish sometimes.
                                                                              The Doctor (Tom Baker)

For so many, Tom Baker is Doctor Who.

Throughout his seven year tenure as everyone's favourite Time Lord (the longest of any actor) a generation fell in love with his loopy, man-child, really alien version of the Doctor.  His trademarks; hat, longcoat, scarf, wide grin and seemingly-bottomless bag of jelly babies have firmly seeped into popular culture - his image appearing in such shows as the Simpsons. Every Doctor since has Tom Baker's shadow over them, the public wondering if they will ever reach the Fourth Doctor's popularity. Arguably, no one quite has.

In great contrast to his Earth-bound predecessor, the Fourth Doctor hated being tied to one place and working with authority. As soon as he got the chance he leaves his job at UNIT to roam freely round the universe. Extremely charismatic and able to laugh in the face of danger, the Fourth Doctor often took control of situations without anyone realising or minding and fought evil with a smile on his face. Not that this was all a joke. When given the opportunity to stop the Dalek's from ever existing, the weight and responsibility of such a challenge hits home and the Doctor has to solve a moral dilemma. However, perhaps the Fourth Doctor's defining characteristic is his completely alien nature. Utterly unpredictable, companions and viewers alike had no idea what this Doctor would do when, for instance, he became swayed by the universe-conquering power of the Key to Time he held in his hands or his callousness once at seeing a dead body. In episodes set in his home world, you'll see he's even more alien than his fellow Gallifreyans. He's one of a kind. The Madman with a box.

The Fourth Doctor travelled with a several dear friends - perhaps forming the closest relationships with a companion the Doctor had up to that point. Inherited from the Third Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith was, in his own words, the Doctor's 'best friend.' Along with UNIT Doctor Harry Sullivan, they enjoyed some of Doctor Who's greatest adventures together before Harry returned to his job and the Doctor was summoned to Gallifrey - where humans could not go - and forced to leave Sarah behind. She would go on to be one of the show's most beloved characters. Warrior girl Leela of the Sevateem accompanied the Doctor next, as did robot dog K-9 - of whom four versions exist, gifts to different companions. Icy Time Lady Romana was the first companion to be the Doctor's equal - someone who didn't need things explained to her all the time. Shortly before his death at the hands of the Master, he met maths-whizz Adric, alien noblewoman Nyssa and mouthy air hostess Tegan.

 On the whole, the Fourth Doctor's tenure is often cited as the finest era of the show. Featuring many classic stories and some of fans most favourite companions and monsters, it was always going to be good. However, the casting of Tom Baker in the lead pushed the show the extra length. Quite simply, the Fourth Doctor changed Doctor Who forever.

Avengers Assemble - British style!

Well, the picture above really doesn't need any introduction unless, perhaps you've been living in a cave these past few weeks. And, frankly, I'm sure even hermits residing in the Himalayas have heard of this movie. The Abominable Snowman keeps them posted. His favourite is the Hulk, obviously.

Anyway, getting sidetracked. Yes. this is Marvel's The Avengers which is everywhere at the moment. Literally. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up tomorrow and find its logo tattooed across my forehead. So, in a simultaneous act of joining in with the fad and going against it (I'm complex like that, you see) I thought I'd blog about something that would get me as excited as comic book fans across the world at Joss Whedon's multi-hero epic.

What if there was an 'Avengers' team of British TV characters?

I first thought of this idea earlier on today whilst looking for anything to distract me from essay-writing and, like the TV geek I am, thought of who would be the TV equivalent of each Avenger. So, without further ado, here are the British Avengers!

THE DOCTOR

Well, the Doctor was always going to make it in, wasn't he? But, what's more, he's the obvious candidate for filling the role of Thor.
One is a God-like being from another planet who often protects Earth from evil extraterrestrials and the other's... well, I think you see where I'm coming from. The Doctor's is a hundred times cooler than Thor, of course. And I'm sure he could short circuit Thor's thunderin' hammer thing with a buzz from the sonic.

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Cumberbatch's Sherlock is also definitely the Iron Man in this team. Both are arrogant geniuses not known for their people skills. Downey's Tony Stark also can't keep away from the limelight and is a favourite of the media. Remind you of anyone? *Cough* The Reichenbach Fall *Cough*

Also, it's rather fitting that Cumberbatch is Iron Man here as actor Robert Downey Jr also plays the same character as Cumbers in Sherlock Holmes blockbuster series.

GWEN COOPER

A joint team of UK TV heroes needed a female amongst them so I've chosen Torchwood's Gwen Cooper to step up to the post. An equally feisty, action-y, top secret agent of a shady organisation as Scarlet Johanssen's Black Widow. Gwen's just more Welsh.

This one was a bit tougher than the others as there are less female lead characters on TV. I considered River Song and Amy Pond (it's the red hair) but River's too strong to be the Black Widow of this group and Amy is not quite a hero in her own right yet (I'd say her husband is more) so I gave the role to Gwen. Oh, the things I do in the name of procrastination.



HENRY 'HAL' YORK

Vampire Hal (from BBC Three's Being Human) is definitely the Hulk of this team. Just like Bruce Banner, he has a nasty, animistic side that he can't keep under wraps no matter how hard he tries. Hal's a bloodthirsty villain when  the vampire mood takes but otherwise he's a hero, helping to save the world in the last BH series. Plus, his name even sounds like Hulk when you say it quickly. Eh?

CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS

And, yeah, you probably guessed it. He is, of course, Captain America. This one was obvious but there's actually more similarity between them. Jack is a man out of his time (Cap'n A is from the past, Cap'n J is from the future) and they were both soldiers in World War Two. Jack's even been frozen once or twice.




Yup, that would be the British TV Avengers. I imagine they would get on even less than the film lot. They would be fighting THE MASTER , by the way. He's the obvious choice for the counterpart of Loki here. They're both enemies of the alien of the gang, both sort-of brothers (I'm not going to get into that Who fan argument now) and both share a love of failed attempts to conquer Earth. There's probably loads of fan boys and girls who'd love Tom Hiddleston to play the Master at some point anyway

And there you are. If universes collided, these would be the five TV characters I'd like to see team up to save the world. And I'm pretty sure if I wrote fan-fiction I would be writing about the meeting of these fantastic five. There's loads of other variants you can apply the Avengers idea too. Go on, make your dream Avengers-type teams up! Your inner geek has probably already come out to play while watching the real Avengers movie so why not indulge it a little more.

Vids of the Month - Pixar Special

Hey blog-dwellers! As it's nearing summertime, with the birds singing, drawn-out days and lots of torrential rain (British folk will understand me here), I thought I'd take you all back to your childhoods with themed selection of vids this month - all from Pixar!


5. Lifted

My comments on these videos are usually more in-depth but I'm not sure Pixar really need any introduction. I always find their work clever, funny and charming. The idea behind this one - aliens abducting people as if it's a driving test I think shows off all three.



4. Geri's Game

I love this one. An old man playing chess doesn't seem a very captivating idea from the those who brought us talking toys, lost fish and...all the others, but they pull it off brilliantly. I think we all hope we have Geri's imagination when we're his age. Whatever his age is. Seeing as he's not real.

3.  Tin Toy

One of Pixar's first film shorts obviously demonstrates straight away, their most famous idea; that of toys coming to life. It's very familiar to Toy Story, the first in particular (a jealous toy) and also Toy Story 3 (toys dreading being drooled on by children). Why did that toy never come back?

2.  Luxo Jr



Yeah, everyone knows the Luxo lanp. I don't really need to say much about this one.It's a great example of their work though. Like they make you care for a clownfish or a big ball of blue fur, here you laugh alongside a desk lamp.

1. Partly Cloudy



Aand finally, here's one I only saw for the first time the other day but which is definitely my favourite. I'm not quite sure why other than that I love that cloud. It's also a great, really cleverly visual and witty idea behind it. Just gold. Cloudy gold. 

Thanks for stopping by. Come again soon for another exciting installment of 'Random Youtube Links I Collect in A Post!'

A Nod to Neil

While watching the terrific film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's creepy children's novel Coraline, I had a thought; I've never dedicated a blog post to Neil Gaiman, Master Storyteller and my favourite author. Ever. I intend to put this unfortunate mistake on my part right. Right now.

For those of you who don't know him, Neil Gaiman is a British fantasy novelist who mainly lives in America. Apart from his critically-acclaimed, multi-award winning novels which are increasingly being made into films (Coraline and Stardust are two films based on his works and another, a film version of the Graveyard Book is being developed now) he is also known as the writer of the Sandman comic book series (which I really mean to get around to reading) and as an occasional scriptwriter; he wrote last year's Doctor Who episode 'The Doctor's Wife.'

It's not too easy to say why I like his writing so much. His work is of course incredibly witty and clever, his style of prose captivating but I think it's something more than that. Something on a deeper level.
 Like I connect with the films of Tim Burton, I really feel for the characters in Neil Gaiman books and get incredibly sucked into whatever world it is he has created. Usually it's a world not too different from our own, just a lot more fun. His writing has such a real heart, I think. Basically, I'd describe his writing as magic. There's not really another word for it. Even when his stories don't involve magic, which, on the whole, they don't, they are magic.

Of course, him writing ghost stories, Doctor Who, fairy tales, Batman, dreams and Sherlock Holmes - all areas I am interested in - doesn't hurt.

If you haven't read any Gaiman I highly recommend you should. In turn, you'll be surprised, shocked, humoured, thoughtful, entertained and even tearful. Below, are my five favourite examples of his stuff. If you are interested in reading any do check them out.




Good Omens
Although not much of a Terry Pratchett fan, I love this combined effort of both author's talents concerning the run up to Armageddon. First and foremost, it's hilarious. Totally written for laughs, we get to know a host of bizarre characters as they all attempt to prevent the Anti-Christ destroying the Earth. The angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley are my favourites; after being stuck on Earth since Creation, the two have formed a close friendship despite the fact they are meant to be on opposite sides. Great fun!



Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
And now for something completely different. The conceit of this comic, that Gaiman was asked to write as 'the final Batman comic', is that the Dark Knight is dead. All his greatest friends and enemies are gathered at his wake to pay respect to Gotham's now-late Hero. If this all sounds a bit of a downer the twist comes as we realise Batman, in the form of a ghostly apparition, is a guest at his own funeral (don't worry, this isn't a spoiler). It's heart-warming stuff which provides all the reasons why you should get into Batman and love Gaiman's work in general.


Smoke and Mirrors
One of the best things about Gaiman's writing is the chance to dive into his singular imagination. And what better way to do that then in a collection of his short stories which features a plethora of great tales and ideas. Read about the cat who protects his owner's family every night from the devil or the old woman who finds the Holy Grail in a charity shop or what happens to the world when a cure for cancer is discovered - that also has some unexpected side-effects.
Smoke and Mirrors has something for everyone, whether you like fantasy, fairy tale, sci-fi or just great storytelling.

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife 

Well, obviously I love this one. A Doctor Who episode written by Neil Gaiman. Duh! It's a fab idea for a Who episode though; what if the TARDIS became a person? It's title is a bit misleading but I forgive it that cos it's a radical, shake-em-up concept that you knew would only last an episode (like the Doctor's Daughter). It makes you look at the show in a new light. And for that to be done to a 49 year old programme is no small credit to Gaiman's talents.

 The Graveyard Book

Most probably my favourite Gaiman novel. A Gothic riff on Kipling's classic the Jungle Book, this tells the story of a boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Just the idea of that is amazing for me but it's followed through superbly. Gaiman's prose and story-telling abilities are at their sharpest. Each chapter moves the story onward a few years so we see the boy, Nobody 'Bod' Owens, grow older. We follow Bod on adventures involving witches, trolls, werewolves and - worst of all! - his first day at school. It's a book for older children primarily but I think it's great joy is that anyone can get something from it. Much like Gaiman's writing on a whole.

DW50 Countdown: The Third Doctor (Part Two)

Welcome to the newly-re branded 'The Scribble Emporium!' It's the same blog just with a different name! Now, don't get hysterical, everyone, things are renamed all the time to help boost their popularity like when whatever-the-old-name-for-Snickers-was changed its name to Snickers or when the toilet tissue Charmin' became Cushelle. Ok, probably not a good idea to compare my blog with toilet roll. Hmm, moving swiftly on...

As you may well know, I've set myself the task of watching a Doctor Who story featuring a different Doctor every month that is not traditionally seen as one of the programme's best examples and still show how it's excellent TV nonetheless! This month it was the Third Doctor's turn. Any old-school Who fans among you may know I've cheated a little here as Curse is actually quite highly-regarded but I had seen it recently for the first time so thought I should review it here. What drew me to watch it was that it's a rare example of a 'classic' Who story that comments on a contemporary (for the time) issue in its mirroring of the UK's joining of the European Union in the 70s. Yeah, I know the idea of watching a science fiction serial based on a forty-year old political event doesn't get me jumping for joy either but The Curse of Peladon takes that as its central idea and runs with it, turning it into a showcase of memorable alien creatures, a great-example of world-building and a gripping whodunit to boot! Only in Doctor Who!

The other stories I have chosen to watch for this countdown so far have all had excellent opening scenes - and Curse is no exception. The first shot is a rather impressive model version of the Peladon Citadel, all medieval Gothic, sitting top a great mountain under a thundering sky, we're then taken inside where the put-upon King Peladon is being shouted at by his pushy High Priest Hepesh for inviting a meeting of the Galactic Federation to be held on Peladon, something which betrays the planet's traditions apparently. Hepesh warns that welcoming the Federation delegates to Peladon will incur the wrath of Aggedor, the fabled royal beast. It's a great example of how to start a Doctor Who story, giving us the situation, a bit of exposition about the world we're on and a monster. And it does all this without resorting to that awful exchange that features at the beginning of several Who stories, that goes something like: 'As you know, Prigtact, our planet has been ruled over by the Marmidons for a hundred years now...'. What we also get from this opening is the knowledge that Hepesh will be talking in portentous caveats for the next four episodes; a particular zinger being 'the ancient curse of Peladon will be FUL-FILLED!'
The story begins proper when the Doctor and Jo arrive - the TARDIS taking a holiday down a cliff face when it topples over - and are mistaken as the Federation agents from Earth, and get to cosy up with the delegates. Ah, the delegates! The leading diplomatic aliens who have been sent as ambassadors to a new world. This is obviously a tender situation and needs careful negotiation. So who do the Galactic Federation send? A nervy cardigan-wearing rather naughty-looking octopus thing, a withered head in a jar who sounds like a Dalek and a pair of asthmatic, shifty-looking Ice Warriors. No wonder Hepesh is a bit distrusting.
Seriously though, the idea of putting a bunch of disparate aliens together is a great one and works well here, most probably thanks to the 'hemaphrodite hexapod' Alpha Centauri her/himself for being so endearing. She/he's a brilliant creation, proving to any doubters that Doctor Who was camp long before Russell T Davies took over. Talking of which, for new series lovers, Davies was obviously a fan of this serial as his episode The End of the World is clearly based on thi,s even having it's own high-pitched jumpy alien in the Moxx of Balhoon. The Ice Warriors, Lord Izlyr and Ssorg, are NOT the villains this week although the Doctor spends about two episodes holding their race's belligerent history against them. Although Arcturus is a bit squawking, Izlyr is actually quite well-drawn; you actually feel something for him while watching which is hard seeing as he takes an age to utter a sentence due to incessant hissing. A highlight, is his offering to help Jo save the Doctor because the Doctor did the same for him earlier on. . It shows the Warrior's most interesting trait; their nobility, which sets them apart from most other Who monsters. I think they're long overdue a comeback.

And it's not just the aliens who are well-developed here. Son of Patrick, David Troughton is excellent as King Peladon, well-playing the youth and vulnerability of the character. However, our leading man and lady steal the show here, which is quite hard to do, playing opposite Alpha Centauri. Pertwee is on top form through the whole serial; a proper leading man doing everything one should do; investigating a mystery, overcoming a monster, engaging in sword fights etcetera. My favourite moment of his, here, is the Doctor's singing of a 'Venusian lullaby' to calm Aggedor; 'klendu klatch naroon naroon naroon.' Pertwee's delivery is quite inspired, putting a sort of Hindi twang to the 'words.' Katy Manning, needless to say, is exceptional. Having not seen any of her original stories for a while, I was impressed that she went a whole story without screaming once, the norm for companions back then (even Amy screams quite a bit now). She's such a strong character and plays off the others brilliantly throughour the development of her half-romance with Peladon, her acceptance of the Ice Warriors and, best of all, her relationship with the Doctor. There's a real bond between them; when he thinks Jo might stay behind he's visibly sad. One of my favourite TARDIS pairs.

Overall, Curse of Peladon works as a really well-done story. At four episodes, it's the perfect length, the plot never sags or is needlessly padded out and flows nicely. Any longer and it would have been ruined. However, the cliffhangers are all fairly pedestrian, involving the Doctor having a gun pointed at him or some such, except for Episode Three's which could have been a great reveal but is botched and over in seconds before you know what's happened. Also, Hepesh is not going to go down into the Hall of Fame for Doctor Who villains. His melodrama itches after a while and even when he's dead, if you look carefully, he continues to breath. I'd like to be there when the TARDIS disappears and the haughty High Priest gets back up again to make some havoc.

DW50 Countdown - The Third Doctor (Part One)

As Doctor Who's 50th anniversary is only eight months away, let us take Bessie for a drive down Gallifreyan memory lane as we look at the Third Doctor. Great Balls of Fire!

'Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway.'

                                                                              The Doctor (Jon Pertwee)

In 1970, when comic actor Jon Pertwee first became 'the New Doctor Who', the show was going through a lot of changes. Under threat of being axed, Doctor Who not only changed its leading man but also its secondary performers (companion actors Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury left with previous Doctor Troughton) and the large portion of its production staff. It's something that wouldn't happen in the show again until Matt Smith took on the mantel. The reason for its success? The scripts were perhaps better than ever, tapping into topical issues like pollution and immigration as well as telling barnstorming stories, and the decision to 'ground' the Doctor on Earth, stripped of the use of the TARDIS, gave the show a root and a host of returning characters i.e. the lovable Brigadier's band of alien-busting UNIT soldiers. However, the real reason is Pertwee's skill and command of the role.

The Third Doctor, in character, was quite a departure from his predecessors. In his frilly shirt, velvet jacket and bouffant hair, he was wildly flamboyant and preferred to stand out of the crowd. Like all Doctors, he was witty and courageous but was far more straight-faced than before -in great contrast to Doctor Two's clownish behaviour - letting the injustices of the universe play on him hard.

However, the Third Doctor's defining characteristic, setting him apart from his fellows, is how he is far more an action-hero than any other Doctor. Familiar with 'Venusian Aikido', he didn't hold back in a full-on fight with his enemies; often coming out the winner. He was also a fan of gadgets and cars; producing no end of scientifically brilliant - and handy,too! - gizmos and partaking in cascade of car chases. While he enjoyed his space-age car (known as 'the Whomobile' by fans), the Doctor's pride and joy was his old-fashioned roadster affectionately called Bessie - which he, of course, gave a few Tine Lord-y appendages to.

While Doctors One and Two surrounded themselves in a gaggle of young people, male and female, the Third Doctor preferred the company of a single young woman; cementing his state as the James Bond of Doctors. Excellent scientist Dr Liz Shaw was less a companion and more a hired assistant but was still a valuable friend. He also befriended fan-beloved intelligent, independent journalist Sarah Jane Smith - being her first Doctor - later in life. However, his longest-lasting companion was clumsy but endearing Jo Grant. Initially displeased with her attitude, the Doctor grew extremely fond of Jo; becoming visibly sad when she left him to marry Professor Jones for a life of exploring the world. Throughout his tenure, though, the Third Doctor had a comrade and, simultaneously, sparring partner in the indomitable Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart; who often disagreed with the Doctor's diplomatic approach to things but had to admire his results. The two held a friendship which spanned several (of the Doctor's) lifetimes. When the Eleventh Doctor heard of his death in recent episode 'The Wedding of River Song', it comes as a massive blow to a man so used to losing friends.

Overall, while the show had been testing the waters throughout it's first decade, it leapt in full throttle during the Third Doctor's time. Introducing elements of the show that would be felt throughout the many following years; expanding on the mythos of the Time Lords, the creation of UNIT and the introduction of the Doctor's greatest enemy, the Master. However, the greatest gift these years gave to Doctor Who was the Third Doctor himself. Proving so successful he not only caused a flourish in the show's popularity in the short term but played a huge part in ensuring the show continued for another forty years and beyond.