Magic Moments

[shada pavlova]

The Invisible Enemy

The model sequences. Easily on a parallel with Red Dwarf, given the era.

And, of course, K9. He insinuates himself into the story so well, that by episode 3 you're convinced he's a regular character!

[Pip Madeley]

Tom Baker running full pelt into the Police Box prop, almost knocking it over

[fan] I love the way the demat sound cuts off as Leela shouts for the Doctor, and the TARDIS quickly appears. [/fan]

[SiHart]

Image of the Fendahl
Two bits spring to mind instantly- the transformation of Thea Ransome- which is really spooky and atmospheric... and the way Tom Baker rattles off the line "It can only have been created out of pure energy while the skull was restructuring Thea's brain." like he's talking about going donw the shops or something. He always had a knack of making the technobabble sound totally natural and this is one of my favourites. (The other is him explaining the chameleon circuit in Logopolis while striding around the TARDIS corridors).

Si xx

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

Image of the Fendahl
Two bits spring to mind instantly- the transformation of Thea Ransome- which is really spooky and atmospheric... and the way Tom Baker rattles off the line "It can only have been created out of pure energy while the skull was restructuring Thea's brain." like he's talking about going donw the shops or something. He always had a knack of making the technobabble sound totally natural and this is one of my favourites. (The other is him explaining the chameleon circuit in Logopolis while striding around the TARDIS corridors).

Si xx

I really like this story. I think the early scenes with scientists are some of the best bits (that's even before the Doctor and Leela get involved in the story).

And of course there's "Do you know..there'll come a time when I'll be too old for this sort of thing"!!!

[Andrew Curnow]

I can vaguely remember watching The Sunmakers back in 1977?8? and, perhaps predictably, it's the cliffhangers that have stayed with me. Or at least, part one & three, I can't remember two at all. Being too young at the time, however, to have been at all... captivated, by the image of a scantily-clad Louise Jameson being steamed (so, this is family entertainment?) my magic moment is in fact something entirely different!!

Namely, the bit where the Collector turns green and shrinks - I remember that vividly, and was so pleased when I saw that clip again years later because it was just as I remembered it.

[shada pavlova]

...aaand suddenly nobody posts here any more.

[Rob McCow]

Everyone said Underworld was a bit rubbish, so I was astonished by the first episode which is clever, dramatic and epic.

The real joy of this episode is the build up to the end-of-story-explosion. This ones an absolute cracker. The blast at Hiroshima was a 1 megaton surface blast and it had a damage radius of 7 miles. So when K9 points out that the Doctor is holding two fission grenades that are set to explode with a force of 2000 megatons, any explosion fan would wet themselves with excitement. Magic!

[Stuart Wallis]

The Invasion Of Time

The episode four cliffhanger, definitely - just when you think that load of aliens whose leader not only sounds like, but looks like a student teacher, are defeated and we can all go about our business again, the ruddy Sontarans show up!

Oh, and Leela in the swimming pool. Just a shame that it only looks like she's not wearing anything...

[shada pavlova]

The Ribos Operation

The bit in the catacombs when Garron's just nicked the tracer. He's such an eloquent character, you'd think he could talk himself out of any situation. One of the best characters in the entire Key to Time season, IMHO.

Oh, and at the end when he pulls the not-jethrik out of his pocket. Priceless.

[SiHart]

The Pirate Planet
People will generally go for Tom'a anger exchange with the Pirate Captain, but I'm a big kid and I love the K9 v The Polyphase Avatron fight. It's great! It's fun! K9 wins and get a triumphant cue from Dudley Simpson!

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

It's not really a moment, but I love the way that Rosalind Lloyd is introduced as almost an extra, and then gradually gets given more prominence by the Director until we realise she is a major player. And Tom's "Bafflegab my dear!" is a great line.

Si.

[Jason Thompson]

OK, resurrection time again...

The Stones Of Blood

Well, virtually any scene with Beatrix Leahman in, of course (partly because her character reminds me strongly of a now deceased family member), but I particularly like Tom's pained expression on their first meeting when she launches off into a long-winded recounting of the history of studies of the Nine Travellers.


The Androids Of Tara

The moment where the Doctor pokes his head out of the door and shouts 'Liar!' at Grendel for shooting at him despite assuring him he would not be harmed.

[SiHart]

Power of Kroll
A tricky one, but I do like the scene where the Doctor, Romana and Rohm Dutt have been captured by the Swampies and Ranquin is busy explaining the legend of Kroll to them all. It's a rather nice moment.

Si xx

[Jason Thompson]

Yes, I agree. I quite like Power Of Kroll, despite its poor reputation.

'What? Come on! If someone comes down here and sees us, they'll put two and two together, and... (sees Thawn) You're putting two and two together, I can tell by the look on your face you're putting two and two together.'

[Rob McCow]

The Armageddon Factor

Searching for Romana aboard the Shadow's ship, The Doctor is pleased to find her. Then he finds another Romana - and another and another! Soon, the screen is filled with Mary Tamms.

It's magic in anyone's book.

[Pip Madeley]

Destiny of the Daleks

Tom gets some great lines:

"Aww poor old Davros!"

"Davros! You haven't changed a bit, and I'd hoped you were dead"

"Ooh look, rocks!"

"All I have to do is press this switch, and Boom! Boom! Davros!"

"He got it wrong on the first line! Why didn't he ask someone who saw it happen?"

"Do be a good chap, stay quiet, I've got to concentrate..."

[SiHart]

City of Death
Of all the many, mnay memorable moments in this story, for me, the bit that stuckj with me for years and years was the Coutess opening the safe behind the bookshelf, finding the Eyptian scroll and unrolling it to find among the creatures there the face of Scaroth. The look of horror on her face as she realises the Doctor was right is wonderful. One of my favourite ever moments, and it has a super bit of music from Dudley (as does the whole story)

Si xx

[shada pavlova]

POINT THE DOG AGAINST THE ROCK!

I think that says it all.

[Andrew Curnow]

I assume we can call that... The Pit, Creature From.

Moving on then, to a story in which their sinister significance lay in the fact that when killed their mortal remains decayed into a powerful hallucinogenic drug - but it has to be said, they were rather less than heartstoppingly frightening. To coin a phrase.

For me, one of the most memorable features of Nightmare from Eden is three brilliant cliffhangers - we had no reason to think, in 79, there were monsters in this one, so part 1 was just totally out of left-field; part 2 is one of those moments in the story that you know is coming, but is still so exciting when it does that you don't want the episode to end; and part 3 is just so unexpected, and even confusing, not to mention well-executed. But I'm going for something perhaps a little more obvious, but which never fails to make me laugh - it's the exchange between Tryst and the Doctor, when the latter tries to convince the former that he works for Galactic Salvage. I love the way Tryst pointedly says, "Doctor - the man from Galactic" now that he knows he's a fake, but best of all is the Doctor's attempt to continue the bluff even after Tryst says the company closed down years ago:

Doctor: I wondered why I hadn't been paid.
Tryst: That's not good enough Doctor.
Doctor: That's what I said!!

[Jon Masters]

<pedant> *cough* Rigg </pedant>

COTP - all the stuff between the Doctor and Organon, especially when the latter thinks he's going to be sacrificed.

NoE - I agree, cliffhanger 3 is a stonker

Horns of Nimon - probably the Nimon themselves. They are a great sci-fi classic idea well realised, and their built in weapons and voices are great. A pity they were a bit too slow and zombie like when chasing people - but if only they'd been fitted with roller skates....

[Andrew Curnow]

<pedant> *cough* Rigg </pedant>

Well done, Jon, I wondered who'd spot my deliberate mistake first...

[SiHart]

The Leisure Hive
So many moments from this story stuck in my had after it was broadcast, but I'm going to go for the Part One cliffhanger, which is one of my absolute favourites. After seeing Earth Visito Loman torn to pieces earlier on in the story, I knew that the Doctor was in terrible danger. And he was- I watched in horror as he torn apart and screamed- the Doctor never screamed... it was really frightening stuff! One of the most memorable cliffhangers ever and done so stylishly.

Si xx

[Jason Thompson]

Meglos

Generally speaking a rubbish story (but which virtuously has some very short episodes), but the bits I particularly liked and thought were done well were those in which the Earthman tries to separate himself from Meglos. Visually impressive (the more so in a story with a planet held up by string and a very wobbly spacecraft), and frankly quite unexpected, since the Earthman was apparently just a non-speaking template for Meglos to model his body on, but turns out to be rather more than that.

[SiHart]

Full Circle
For me, the start of part 1 from the opening in the control room through to the TARDIS plunging into the CVE is magical. The world weary Tom who comes alive again when the TARDIS is in danger, K9 in control and then losing control of the TARDIS, the Quantel effects as the TARDIS moves into E-Space and my favourite spinning in space shots combine to make this a really memorable opening for me.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Not to mention the music!