The Pertwee Years- Yes or No?

[Si Hunt]

It's odd that people have singled Jon's era out for padded six-parters as well. It's not like other eras were immune to this - let us not forget that Troughton's last season was padding-city, with stories lasting as long and eight or even ten weeks and containing "The Space Pirates".

And, of course, Jon's six-parters arn't "padded" at all. Sure, when you watch "The Sea Devils" in one go it seems like it, but it wasn't made to be viewed this way. Following its run during the 1992 repeat season was enlightening - you realised that the story was devised to keep you entertained for 25 minutes a week every seven days, and it works wonderfully! Each individual instalement offers SOME kind of spectacle or highlight, from the swordfight to the sub dive and the battle on the beach. It builds marvellously over two and a bit months to its conclusion and works rather wonderfully! I'm sure that other stories like "The Time Monster" (much underated) would also work perfectly when watched this way too.

Si.

[Ralph]

Considering how much the subject of the Pertwee years has driven this site close to civil war in the Last Doctor Standing, well done to the author of this post for rubbing salt in the wound ...

I think the Pertwee critics could have drawn breath - I feel I'm getting ready now to describe just how awful I think the 80s are

[Si Hunt]

Oi, watchit you.

Si.

[Ralph]

I can feel myself possessed by an evil spirit which is taking over my very soul

[Nathan]

I actually like the concept. Just not keen on the realisation.

I should love this era purely on the nostalgia stakes, but I find it a struggle to watch.

[Larry]

The worst criticism that you can level at the Pertwee era is the number of overlong six-part stories which are strung out half as long again as they should have been. .

As much as I lkike the 3rd Doctor, I voted no partly for this reason and also because to to many of his stories featured The Master, and became very pridictable and boring.

[WhiteCrow]

Of course this is all timely as tomorrows episode looks likely to pitch the Doctor against Worzel Gummage in some kind of grudge match ...

[P-Bal]

I just wanna say one thing Dallas.

It was the repeat of The Sea Devils in 1992 that set me on the path of buying the magazine, the videos, the wretched t-shirts. In other words turned me from a viewer into a fan.

Hurrah for the Pertwee era!

[WhiteCrow]

I can feel myself possessed by an evil spirit which is taking over my very soul

Isn't that a Robert Holmes story?

[Milky Tears]

I blame Ralph for putting me off the whole Pertwee era.

[Carol Baynes]

I blame Ralph for putting me off the whole Pertwee era.

I can turn you onto it!

[Paul Monk]

I don't know why but if Carol was a companion she'd be Jo Grant!

I have to say, whether its Si's writing or not, I like to think there's a big chunk of the third Doctor in my protrayal. Well I like to think so anyway.

[Marisa Bynum]

I don't know - the whole era just seemed so cosy and formulaic - I remember seeing on the net someone had built a "make your own Pertwee story," flowchart.

[Ralph]

I blame Ralph for putting me off the whole Pertwee era.

I don't think I'll be able to sleep nights now!

[Andrew Curnow]

I don't know - the whole era just seemed so cosy and formulaic

I don't think that really stands up though does it - the first series arguably does, yes, in that stories 2, 3 & 4 are all about problems in a big, scientific complex, with monsters traipsing about interfering with scientists. But even if you believe that, from then on the series are all very varied - and indeed, since they have the UNIT stories as well as the outer-space stories, one could argue the Pertwee years are more varied than many another eras.

[Captain Tancredi]

The other side of being cosy and formulaic is consistency, which the Pertwee era brought to an unprecedented extent- and which arguably allowed the production team to take more risks in their subject matter as long as the status quo was restored in the final episode. The Hinchcliffe/Holmes era is equally formulaic in its own way (in that the villains are nearly all shot, destroyed by their own creations or fall down a big hole), but it's just better at getting the set dressing and atmosphere right.

[Si Hunt]

I don't see that Pertwee's tenure was ever "cosy" - what people seem to misunderstand is that he wasn't "establishment" (as Verity Lambert seems to think he was). He was an anti-establishment character forced to try to fit into an establishment due to his exile. But the Pertwee Doctor isn't having any of it - he spends every moment of his exile trying to escape, and deeply resents the "cosy" beaurocracy which the likes of The Brigadier wish he'd become a part of. Whenever he meets anyone in authority he despises them so much he takes great joy in bringing them down (Walker, Ministers, Parlimentary Undersecretarys) to the immense humorous benefit of the stories. By the end of his tenure, of course he has made friends (if this is what "cosy" means), but he never completely gets on with any of them, even speaking harshly to the loyal Jo on occasion (such as when he turns on her for not showing the Brigadier respect in one story). And of course, the first chance he gets to escape, he does so.

This is not a "cosy" era by any means, and to say it is is a very lazy judgement which doesn't delve very deeply into the workings of the Third Doctors character.

Si.

[Wayne]

what people seem to misunderstand is that he wasn't "establishment" (as Verity Lambert seems to think he was). He was an anti-establishment character forced to try to fit into an establishment due to his exile. But the Pertwee Doctor isn't having any of it - he spends every moment of his exile trying to escape, and deeply resents the "cosy" beaurocracy which the likes of The Brigadier wish he'd become a part of. Whenever he meets anyone in authority he despises them so much he takes great joy in bringing them down (Walker, Ministers, Parlimentary Undersecretarys) to the immense humorous benefit of the stories.

Nice to see that there are other who people actually get that!

England for the English, man? Good grief!

[Lord President]

This is an impossible poll to vote on unless you are a Pertwee or Baker nut! Both eras have so much going for them, but also have total dogs as well. How can I claim that either era are definitive when they contain such stories as Power of Kroll or The Time Monster!!!!!

[Carol Baynes]

I don't know why but if Carol was a companion she'd be Jo Grant!

I can't see without my contact lenses or me glasses that's for sure! I tend to wear inappropriate footwear too. Surely I'm not as dizzy?!

[Lord President]

I can't see without my contact lenses or me glasses that's for sure! I tend to wear inappropriate footwear too. Surely I'm not as dizzy?!

Do you flash your knickers at the drop of a hat as well?

[Carol Baynes]

Do you flash your knickers at the drop of a hat as well?

If I remember to wear them!

[Si Hunt]

Harlot!

Si.

[P-Bal]

Ainsley Harriot!

[Dirk Gently]

If I remember to wear them!

Oh yeah! That's my girl!