The Best of Season Seventeen

[Prydonian]

So I was just out and about tonight and got to thinking about Tom's final seasons as The Doctor. That led me to wonder-as a companion piece to my Season Eighteen post-what the fans here at this site think of Season Seventeen? Which stories work best and which do not? Which have the most memorable Tom moments?

Ready? Off we go!

[Toothy Grin]

I think Season 17 is probably Tom's weakest season. It suffers from way too much silly humour, some very poor special effects and monsters (erato, the Mandrels and the Nimon) and the fact that it's a story short due to the cancellation of Shada. Destiny of the Daleks is tired and shabby, Creature from the Pit is daft and too jokey, The Horns of Nimon has quite a good script but has atrocious production values and pantomime performances and while Nightmare Of Eden has an excellent script and is very imaginative it's let down hugely by silly acting, daft monsters and camp costumes. Only City Of Death stands out, it's actually my favourite story but is the only things that's really good about Season 17. Even K-9 sounds wrong in season 17 (different actor). Tom is still entertaining to watch but is allowed to indulge himself far too much.

[pattie anne]

always thought "Creature From The Pit" was Dr Who's answer to Star Trek's "Trouble With Tribbles." BOTH off-handedly poked fun at their own series; and i loved them for that.

[tch]

I liked 'Nightmare of Eden'.
Yes, the 'massive space ship has a crew of three and while they talk about 'all the passengers', we only see about four of them, but I liked the hyperspace crash bit, the monsters and the attempt at an anti-drug message.
and they let K-9 do something, rather than find an excuse to write him out of the story.

Season 17 is uneven, but I generally enjoyed it. Yes, City of Death is the best of the bunch, but I don't think there was anything that wasn't entertaining. Some were better than others, but there isn't a 'Love and Monsters' among the bunch.

[Prydonian]

I have to go on record as saying that I actually liked Nightmare of Eden least but enjoyed the remainder of the season. City of Death is an obvious choice for best story of the season, but i enjoyed The Creature from the Pit just as much at the time when I watched it on PBS all those years ago. Lalla Ward had a lot to do with that. I developed a crush on her during this season's repeat syndication pn PBS circa 1990.

[pattie anne]

I developed a crush on her during this season's repeat syndication pn PBS circa 1990.

gosh ... that takes me back. i developed a crush on TOM BAKER about that same TIME ... one would think after all these years - decades even - it would just crawl away and die a proper death, on its own, as crushes usually do! but ... NO! perhaps even, it is worse NOW as it enters its second century. i know, 'toad-ly' HOPEless. but as willie wonka of willie wonka and the chocolate factory said, one upon a TIME:

"oh ... HOPE it will last!"
willie wonka

[Prydonian]

I know the quote! **** Wonka says "The supsense is terrible....I hope it lasts...." Gene Wilder as Wonka was very Doctor-ish wasn't he????

[pattie anne]

am sure he was a Time Lord. i mean, a 98.6 body temperature would have melted his chocolate hat!



not to mention, he was wearing a lot of doc #3's clothing!



and i have a list of other reasons some one sent me once. perhaps i can find it. oh, here it is:

wonka was a TIme Lord because of ...

His eccentricity

His TARDIS -- The flying glass elevator

His manner of dress -- including a chocolate hat and boots that didn't melt due to his 60 degree body temp

His flute

His multi-lingual-ness

His caring for less aggressive creatures (The Oompa Loompas)

[Prydonian]

Yes, I got to agree with that list! I always thought Wilder would have made a dynamite Doctor and since that movie was made around 1972, he would have fit between the late Jon Pertwee and our Tom. Ah well, good times spent watching that movie as a child.
Now the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp remake was something else entirely, but still in the possible realams of Doctor-like qualities! Yeah!

[Moderator]

Dear Lady and Gent -

Very interesting off to the side commentary. But might we get back on Topic now?

Best,
Dirk