Rate and Discuss: The Web of Fear

[Anthony Williams]

Like The Enemy of the World, the surviving five episodes of The Web of Fear are already to download on iTunes, along with a recon of Episode 3. We want to know what you thought of it! Did it live up to your expectations? Or perhaps you were disappointed? Or maybe even frustrated that Episode 3 is still missing?

We want to know your thoughts on this rediscovered story!

(P.S. - again, if some enterprising mod would add witticisms to the poll to this one, too, I would really appreciate it!)

[Andrew Curnow]

An almost unbelievable thing to think we can now watch almost the whole of The Web of Fear. Amongst other things, how wonderful to have one final 'new' story with Nick Courtney. Just amazing.

[SiHart]

I've been watching this this evening, and it's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Douglas Camfield was an amazing director- all the way through there's so many touches and stylish moments that raises this above the ordinary. I can see now why the people who saw it at the time remember it so well- it's all played and directed beautifully. So many thing that you wouldn't pick up on the audio versions, so many lovely unexpected things.

And the effect of the web advancing through the underground tunnels is rather wonderful and done in a way I didn't expect, but that makes it seem as alive as its meant to be (if you see what I mean!)

Can't wait to see the rest of it, but I'm eeking this out!

[Simon R]

We watched it last night more or less in one sitting. It's beautifully shot and there are no dodgy effects or notable things to cringe at. If I'm being honest I did think it was a bit repetitive and thin on plot but to be fair it wasn't made for watching in one go especially at the end of a long week.

Episode 4 is probably the best one with the location footage and lots of exciting battles. Looking forward to watching it again soon.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Just out of curiosity - What Episode is Lethbridge-Stewart first in? Is that the same episode he first meets the Doctor? Has that been recovered, or does that all happen to be in Episode 3?

[SiHart]

Episode 3 is his debut.

[Andrew Curnow]

Am I right in thinking we don't actually see them meet anyway (even if they had found episode 3)? I believe there's a scene in the book, but on TV the Doctor just turns up having already bumped into Lethbridge-Stewart. Given how long an association they'd have, it's rather ironic I think!!

[SiHart]

You are indeed correct Mr Curnow.

[Simon R]

Did we imagine that there was a scene where Lethbridge Stewart stalks the Doctor through a tunnel and you see his feet? I swear it wasn't in it.

[SiHart]

Are you thinking of the end of pt 3, where we see the feet creeping up on Victoria?

[SiHart]

Having now watched the whole thing, I can say that I absolutely adore this story. It was everything (and more) than I hoped. Douglas Camfield really deserves his reputation. he lifted a story that should be dull into something very special. He cast extremely well, and the actors here really sell the story, along with Camfield's directorial flourishes. The close ups on Patrick Troughton through pt 4 were astonishingly good- Troughton giving his all.

Now, there is some school of thought I've seen that the story is nothing special. That maybe so, but as an exercise in atmosphere and scares it works triumphantly I think. There's such a sense of menace here, of things creeping around in the dark, of not knowing what's round the corner in the tunnels that gives this the edge over all the other base under siege stories. It's easy to forget that this is the first time the Doctor is teamed up with the military because it seems so right knowing as we do, what comes later on.

Episode 4 is the highlight of the whole thing. The battle scenes are done so brilliantly- as you'd expect from Camfield, but even more shocking is the way Lethbridge-Stewart seems so defeated and weary at the end of it, after losing all his men. We're not used to that, and Courtney is incredible in those scenes. You can see why they wanted him back to command UNIT in The Invasion- he's quite simply magnificent. It's so sad he's not here to see it again.

So, quite honestly, it really did live up to the high expectations I had of it. I'm so delighted to have it back.

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm so pleased to hear you say that, Si - it's lovely to hear that, actually, this one is as good as everybody's been claiming/hoping it is. Certainly episode one is terrific, so I'm glad to hear the remainder of the story doesn't disappoint.

[Wayne]

Watched WoF today, which is now up on Pugwash Island.

Little bit underwhelmed to be honest. It wasn't bad by any means, although some of supporting cast were pretty awful. Overall, my reaction is similar to a lot of people's were when Tomb was released on VHS. Although I personally like Tomb a lot.
Great to see Nick Courtney though, but seeing WoF hasn't significantly changed my opinion of it based on the Audio CD/Recon. It's a good 7.5/10 story, but not a massive lost classic, in spite of it's iconic status.
Although I have to admit there have always several missing stories whose return I crave rather more than this one. Naturally, I'm glad to have it back, but roll on Evil of the Daleks.

[brandynigma]

8/10.

I can't add much to what has been written above, except to single out a particular cast member. Jon Rollason is brilliant as Chorley. Some of you probably know in what esteem I hold his performances in The Avengers (not very), so I'm overjoyed to see him showing a great deal more range and talent here.

[Junkyard]

Every bit as good as I recall from when I was 10 years old. 8/10.

[Si Hunt]

Watching Web again this week. Proud to say we bought it, rather than stole it, supporting the return of future episodes.

Si.

[Simon R]

In a surprising move, Virgin Media have added the Web of Fear to their on demand service.

Good chance to see it for anyone that didn't download it and has Virgin.

[Nyder]

Thanks for that Simon. Gosh I had no idea I had access to all those Doctor Who progs on my Virgin box!!!

[Dirk Gently]

Having hijacked Jonno's box we sat & watched it in two parts. And I was totally loving it from the start.

Episode 2 suffers when Troughton nips off for his holiday but not greatly. Episode 3 is good in a recon way* but if only it had been returned it would probably have been really good. But episodes 4-6 were really excellent. For a 6 parter I didn't think it dragged at all. All the attempts to get ahead of the fungus might have looked like padding to someone else but for me they were all logical & not at all added to extend the story.

I'm so looking forward to Feb & getting my hands on my DVD to see it again.
Loved it, 9/10.





*Some pictures were really quite grainy.

[Jonno]

It's a 9 from me too. It's every bit as good as I'd expected with the Covent Garden battle probably better than I'd expected! I just think it's a wonderful setting, especially as having lived in London for 20 years I can really relate to the Underground locations. The sets are brilliant - I had to convince Tim that they were all sets and not actually filmed on the Underground! The Yeti are menacing with their bulk and power really coming across well. And the way every character comes under suspicion is very clever.

One bit I always remember from the book was at the end where Lethbridge Stewart starts pondering on the creation of a military taskforce to tackle the unexplained - I didn't know until now that that was Uncle Terrance doing some early retconning!

[Nyder]

Just finished Web too - how marvellous. Even Victoria wasn't too annoying :-) Anne Travers would have made a great companion. The Yeti were full of menace - especially when combined with the "roaring" SFX.

Genuinely shocking moment was Staff Arnold's charred body at the end. Must have been really horrific for those kids watching in 1968!

[Junkyard]

The Yeti were full of menace - especially when combined with the "roaring" SFX.

Genuinely shocking moment was Staff Arnold's charred body at the end. Must have been really horrific for those kids watching in 1968!

It certainly was! Scared the s##t out of the 10-year old me!

[Philipnet]

Well it seems that the BBC Shop have deleted my account.
Including all record of my previous purchases ... and my pre-order of the Web of Fear.


Sods.

[SiHart]

That's pretty shitty.

[Dirk Gently]

I'm sorry to hear that, Phil.
They lost my pre-order of Web, so I had to order it again.
But as I had Moonbase in my basket having used a discount code, but hadn't been paid for, I added Web to it & got my discount off both.