50th Anniversary repeats - what would you choose?

[Anthony Williams]

Okay, so here's a game for us to play. Hypothetical situation: you are the controller of BBC1. You've decided that in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, you will have one story from each Doctor on BBC1 on weekday evenings. Obviously, this has to be fully-existing stories, and must obviously include the TV Movie.

Which stories do you choose?

[J.R. Southall]

Perhaps you should also say that you'd show them in 45-minute instalments (therefore they'd have to be even-numbered stories):

The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Tomb of the Cybermen
Terror of the Autons
The Ark in Space
City of Death
The Visitation
The Two Doctors
The Curse of Fenric
The TV Movie (split in half)
The Empty Child
Human Nature
The Doctor's Wife

...not my personal choices perhaps, but a good selection of companions and monsters and with very little repetition.

And then, as a special treat, I'd show The Wedding of Sarah Jane and The Death of the Doctor at the end...

[Anthony Williams]

Well, if you want them in 45-minute instalments, then that's your decision - you're the controller of BBC1, after all!

Personally, I'd have them all at their length as originally broadcast. Yes, it would mess around with the schedule a bit, but so be it.

Here's what I'd choose:

An Unearthly Child
The Mind Robber
Terror of the Autons
The Robots of Death
The Caves of Androzani
Revelation of the Daleks
The Curse of Fenric
The TV Movie
Dalek
Human Nature/The Family of Blood
The Doctor's Wife

[Ssarl]

Dalek Invasion
War Games
Sea Devils
Seeds of Doom
Earthshock
Two Doctors
Remembrance
The Empty Child
Silence in the Library
The Doctor's Wife

[Larry]

An Unearthly Child
Tomb of the Cybermen
The Three Doctors
Talons of Weng Chiang
Earthshock
Mark of the Rani
Remembrance of the Daleks
TV movie
The Unquiet Dead
Human Nature/Family of Blood
Flesh and stone/time of the Angels

[Rob McCow]

and must obviously include the TV Movie

Pah! I say. PAH!!!

The Sensorites
The Krotons
Planet of The Daleks
The Invasion of Time
Arc of Infinity
Attack of The Cybermen
Battlefield
Shada (Animated)
Dimensions In Time
The Curse of Fatal Death
The Long Game
Planet of The Dead
The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood

[duncan]

An Unearthly Child
Tomb of the Cybermen
The Three Doctors
The Brain of Morbius
Earthshock
Vengeance on Varos
Remembrance of the Daleks
TV movie
The Unquiet Dead
The Girl in the Fireplace
The Curse of the Black Spot

[Anthony Williams]

Pah! I say. PAH!!!

The Sensorites
The Krotons
Planet of The Daleks
The Invasion of Time
Arc of Infinity
Attack of The Cybermen
Battlefield
Shada (Animated)
Dimensions In Time
The Curse of Fatal Death
The Long Game
Planet of The Dead
The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood

In the words of Si Hunt... "scamp!"

[Stuart Wallis]

The Dalek invasion Of Earth
Tomb Of The Cybermen
Spearhead From Space
The Robots Of Death
Frontios
Vengeance On Varos
The Greatest Show In The Galaxy
TVM
The Empty Child
Rise Of The Cybermen
The Doctor's Wife

[Dino]

If they showed individual episodes instead of full stories, they'd be able to show a lot more Doctor Who... oh, just me then? Ok...

Big 90 minutes clip show. "Resistance Is Useless: Special Weapons Version"

The Edge Of Destruction/ The Rescue

Two William Hartnell stories that are not only two parts, but both have different companions. (Apart from Ian and Barbara appearing in both of them...)

Tomb Of The Cybermen

Seeing as "Four episodes" is the magic number. Otherwise, I'd love to see The War Games.

The Claws Of Axos

UNIT? Check. Pertwee? Check. Jo Grant? Check. The Master? Check. The best example of the third Doctor? Well er... it's a better introduction than Spearhead From Space, though!

Really having problems picking just one story for Tom Baker. I'd normally go for Robots of Death, but then it'd look like they couldn't be bothered looking past Revisitations 3! Logopolis would be good, but it doesn't show the fourth in his prime if we show how he regenerated. I was also tempted by The Stones Of Blood, but then you've got the Key To Time backstory to explain.
So in the end...

The Ark In Space

Similar problems with Peter Davison. Caves of Androzani would normally be the best choice, but again, for people who've never seen the classic series before, does showing his final story send out the best signals about how good his era was? The Five Doctors is tempting, but I'd rather that was shown with The Three and Two Doctors on a separate day. What to do what to do what to do?

Earthshock


Mindwarp

If his stories got edited down to 25 minutes, then all good. Vengeance On Varos all the way then! Or Attack of The Cybermen...

Remembrance Of The Daleks

Basically, aside from Patrick Troughton, you could show every Doctor Who story where he fights the Daleks, but that would only play into the "Oh the old series was the same old thing every week!" moans. At least with Remembrance, it changed the game! I was there! Some of you might have been as well. It was the shot in the arm the series needed.

The TV Movie

Taken as read.

Dalek

I typed out Rose and moved on but then thought "Well if I can't have The Empty Child or The End Of The World..." and then ran screaming back to type out "Dalek" like Kryten and the Cat forgetting they'd left Mr Lister dead on an operating table after they killed that virus. Wrong series I know. My bad...

Then I stopped to eat two satsumas and contemplated. See, I'm really tempted to vote "Midnight". I really love that one, so I sat there and thought "If there's a better David Tennant story, speak now or..."

School Reunion

And finally, it's got to be, another vote for...

The Doctor's Wife

[Dino]

How about this?...

"Doctor Who And The Daleks Night" on BBC Four/Two.
A single episode from every Dalek story and the two Peter Cushing films. (Am prepared to be argued down to just including one Peter Cushing film)

The Dead Planet episode 2 "The Survivors"
Dalek Invasion Of Earth episode 2 "The Daleks"
The Chase episode 6 "The Planet Of Decision"
The Daleks Masterplan episode 5 "Counter Plot"
The Evil Of The Daleks episode 2
Day of The Daleks episode 3
Planet Of The Daleks episode 5
Death To The Daleks episode 2
Genesis of The Daleks episode 6
Destiny Of The Daleks episode 2
Resurrection of The Daleks episode 1
Revelation Of The Daleks episode 2
Remembrance Of the Daleks episode 3
Dalek
The Stolen Earth
Victory Of The Daleks
Dr Who And The Daleks (FILM)
Dr Who And The Dalek Invasion Of Earth (FILM)

What would you change from this? (Apart from The Stolen Earth from Doomsday, like I only just remembered...)

[Larry]

Pah! I say. PAH!!!

The Sensorites
The Krotons
Planet of The Daleks
The Invasion of Time
Arc of Infinity
Attack of The Cybermen
Battlefield
Shada (Animated)
Dimensions In Time
The Curse of Fatal Death
The Long Game
Planet of The Dead
The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood

I trust you are jesting young man..

[brandynigma]

In the interest of featuring as many stories as possible with a connection to the New Series...

The Romans
The Tomb of the Cybermen
Terror of the Autons
The Three Doctors (Special)
Terror of the Zygons
The Five Doctors (Special)
Frontios
Mark of the Rani
Remembrance of the Daleks
Blood of the Daleks (specially commissioned animation)
Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
A Good Man Goes to War/Let's Kill Hitler

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm not sure if I were Controller of BBC1 I'd suggest a full repeat run of one story per Doctor. Even if I did, I would try and put them in context - so maybe several 'special' weekends of programming (akin to Planet of the Daleks, etc in 1993) but assuming I've got to, I think I'd go for this:

1st
An Unearthly Child - just the first episode, NOT the caveman story.
Taking as read that the casual audience will have to do a degree of 'suspension of disbelief' simply because of how 'artificial' the majority of 'old' TV looks to 'modern' eyes - assuming that's done, and once you get over that, this first episode still works so well, and of course the modern audience would watch it "the other way around" to the audience in 1963; ie they KNOW what's inside the police box, so the excitement will be about waiting to get there, not waiting to discover it.

The Rescue
Not just because it's short (so's Edge of Destruction, and I'd definitely not choose that) but also because (a) it zips along very nicely; (b) has the nice twist of a monster who looks like a man in a monster suit turning out to be a man in a monster suit; and (c) it's maybe the first time the first Doctor gets to be 'proactive' and save the day on his own. Plus I think it's a darned good little story.

2nd
No question, Tomb of the Cybermen. We've all probably become jaded by 20 years of being able to watch and rewatch it - but remember the first time, when it never once felt like it was dragging, where it never once felt illogical, and where it genuinely felt like perhaps the best Doctor Who story you'd ever seen. Troughton is sooo good in it, and the Tomb sequences genuinely are excellent, we as fans should be proud to show them off. (I hear the phrase 'Kirby wires' being chucked against the solid walls of my argument...)

3rd
I'd happily echo Dino's suggestion of Claws of Axos, as being almost the whole Pertwee era condensed into four episodes - UNIT, the Master, Jo's knickers, Earth, stunts, monsters, pyschedelia.... What's not to love? Alternatively The Time Warrior, which only loses points for not having more of the Brig' in it!

4th
Assuming we're limited to just one, it's the toss up between Gothic and Graham isn't it, or Hinchcliffe and Humour if you prefer. Probably no surprise, I'll go for the second guy, and select City of Death... for exactly the same reasons as Tomb above, I think we sometimes (certainly I know I do) forget how bloody good it is. It's witty, dramatic, clever, entertaining, captivating, absurd but logical, beautiful, romantic, and probably Simpson's finest score.

5th
Mawdryn Undead for Peter. There are other contenders from one of my favourite eras of course, but this one has the edge here in that with its notions of timey-wimeyness, not to mention the early attempt at something which might one day become School Reunion, give it a nice echo with the modern show. (As an aside, it's hard to find anything in the new show which wasn't at least tried to some degree in the 80s... maybe the kissing is the one exception to that.) The idea of bringing back an old companion, but showing that perhaps they're not happy-happy, is in one sense so obvious, but only after the fact. And, as an added bonus, another lovely score.

6th
Tricky, because Col's best is probably in Trial, but mixed together in a heady brew with some of his era's... well, not so good perhaps. I don't have a problem with the format change in season 22, but still can't wholly love any of it.... Whereas conversely, I think The Twin Dilemma gets far too bad a press, and whatever else it may be it's definitely NEVER boring - so for that, and for the fact that we need some regeneratin' in this repeat run, and because it's a real tour-de-force from Colin (from the manic "Sweet?!!" to the totally Doctorish "A mental stroll in a park of psychic tranquility" he's just soooo watchable, shame he never got the chance to be as good as this for another year or more).


So, to recap (so far) in a far shorter form:
An Unearthly Child + The Rescue
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Claws of Axos
City of Death
Mawdryn Undead
The Twin Dilemma

To be continued!

[Andrew Curnow]

The irony is not lost on me that amidst that long rambly post I chose a story that contains the line, "I like concise answers"...

For Slyboots McCoy, I'm going for Remembrance of the Daleks. Not just because these repeats haven't yet featured the little green blobs in polycarbide armour; but also because it's such a great story. Again, it's one where I've become so familiar with it that it's easy to overlook just how good it is - but it's definitely a story where the Classic Series, in its final years, produces something as good as anything from the previous quarter of a century. It's not 'just' a Dalek story, oh no - nothing so mundane!

I guess for McGann it's got to be the TV Movie...? Actually, what I'd really like to see is a special show (presented by Paul McGann) which first explores the part the TV Movie plays as a bridge from the old to the new series - it's the first time the Doctor kisses, it has a resolution that is perhaps more 'emotionally' fuelled than narratively; it has the Doctor crying; and it has companions brought back from the dead! And then secondly, exploring the various different 8th Doctor eras, with an overview & interviews with those involved, in the DWM strip, the BBC books, and the ongoing BFs. With the TV Movie available to watch via the Red Button for anybody who's not yet seen it. Well, am I the Controller of BBC One or not, hmm?!

And into the 21st Century...

Eccleston's would be Aliens of London/World War Three - it's still criminally under-rated, but for me it's the first full example of the modern style, and of course it heavily features the wonderful Jackie. Plus the Doctor saves the world from inside a tin box, fantastic!

For Tennant I'm opting for the three parter Utopia/Sound of Drums/Last of the Timelords - not just to get as many episodes as I can into the season, but because I think it's such a strong set of episodes, each one has its own distinct style but taken as a whole it has a real epic quality. Not to mention Derek Jacobi is in it!!!!

And finally, maybe an odd choice, but I'm going for A Christmas Carol - because, well, because I happen to like it and because I'm old-fashioned enough to think it gives a lovely baroque feel to a continent. No, hold on, that's not right - just the first reason, because I like it. It's so layered, with so many moments... must admit, I find the song a bit sickly, but can overlook that for all the thrills & spills & police uniforms that preceed it.

So there you go!!

[Terry Leptil]

The Aztecs - a historical classic
The Tomb of the Cybermen - Cybermen
Terror of the Autons - Master/Autons
Robot - UNIT, even though they're also in the above
Resurrection of the Daleks (4 part version) - Daleks/Davros
The Mark of the Rani (4 part version) - Master's also in this but different actor
The Curse of Fenric - exciting, showing that the show should have not been cancelled
The TV Movie - obviously
Aliens of London/World War III - notable for introducing the Slitheen
The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit - Ood
The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone - Weeping Angels

[SiHart]

Lets not be obvious! Let's show off the series' strengths in different ways with:

The Gunfighters (historical comedy!)
Tomb of the Cybermen (Cybermen!)
Terror of the Autons (UNIT, Master, Autons!)
Full Circle (aliens, K9!)
Snakedance (Weird!)
Vengeance on Varos (satire!)
The Greatest Show In The Galaxy (very weird!)
Seasons of Fear (special animated version!)
Bad Wolf/ Parting of the Ways (Daleks!)
Human Nature/ Family of Blood (moving!)
Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone (action!)