The Best of Season Seventeen

[pattie anne]

"yes, sir, you are always saying that sir."
dr who iv
'deadly assassin"

dear dirk -

but good point. and it is your JOB. so i will try to be good.

"thank you sir. am i free to go now?
dr who iv
'deadly assassin'

BTW i really liked season seventeen, very much.

love,
pattie anne

[Prydonian]

I for one could always appreciate the humor and carefree wit this particular season showed off, and I wonder how Tom got on with Douglas Adams during the making of this set of tales. Has he ever said anything about what it was like working with Douglas Adams?

[Moderator]

Dear Prydonian -

Tom has only the most affectionate and glowing comments regarding Douglas Adams, and his reflections upon the same are the same.

And I personally owe him my name: Dirk Gently.

Best,
Dirk

[metalheadjay]

"City Of Death" is my fave. "Nightmare Of Eden" is the one I like least. Shada had the potential to be a fantastic story. It should have been completed. The rest are above average to good. I have a soft spot for "The Horns Of Nimon". I thought Romana was awful in "Creature from The Pit". Hateful, arrogant, and with too much attitude. Was she written that way or was Lalla just in a bad mood?

[Prydonian]

Dear Prydonian -

Tom has only the most affectionate and glowing comments regarding Douglas Adams, and his reflections upon the same are the same.

And I personally owe him my name: Dirk Gently.

Best,
Dirk

Glad to hear, Moderator Dirk. I have read some of Adams' non-Who work and was quite enthralled by it.

As for Season Seventteen, I enjoyed it much more than the seasons around it. Tom and Lalla worked amazing onscreen chemistry and you had the safe feeling that things were going to be alright with them in charge! Mary Tamm's Romana did not have many such moments, nor did Season Eighteen. The only bad thing is K9's voice as it was not John Leeson that year.

[jbateman]

'The Creature from the Pit' I believe was Lalla's least favourite. It was her first recorded performance as Romana and she has commented that it was neither Mary Tamm's Romana nor hers. By the next story she had grown into her version of the character. In addition, she despised her look in that story (dress, hair), feeling it was too 'Mary Tamm-glam' for her and something she was not comfortable with. After that, she took control of the new Romana's wardrobe...

[Prydonian]

So how do the fans here rate Destiny of the Daleks and Nightmare of Eden? As far as the Dalek story goes, it is obvious it is something of a letdown to some after the classic that was Genesis of the Daleks, but I still enjoy watching it from time to time. davros at his weakest in performance here, and we get a new Romana with a dodgy regeneration sequence. The Daleks seem more like robots in their stalemate with the Movellans, and one could say this was meant to be a future of the Dalek race which was later retconned by subsequent serials produced in the 80s and the new series. A pity, really...

As for Shada, should it be considered a part of Season Seventeen? It was not released on video until 1992, I believe, and even then with the missing parts narrated by Tom himself. Then, in 2003, it was finally completed as an online webcast starring Paul Mcgann, for better or worse.

[jbateman]

I never understood the point of stating the Daleks were now completely robotic in this one.

[Prydonian]

Nor I. At least it was changed for their next encounter, 1984's Resurrection of the Daleks, where we again get to see the insides of a Dalek.