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Reviews (12)
07 July 2006
Radio Hits -- Better than Oldies Radio!
1 of 1 found this helpful Like many people who purchase compilation CD albums, I bought this CD for one song: “Ooooh Child”. This CD contains several unusual selections which make it more interesting than a “Biggest Hits” collection. Nowadays, when radio oldies formats are so tightly programmed that only a few songs from each year are played ad nauseam, it’s always a pleasure to hear songs that I’d forgotten. This album is a more realistic facsimile of 1970s radio… a combination of big hits, smaller hits, and one-hit wonders. As such, it far exceeds the quality of oldies radio stations’ playlists. That’s the irony of it all: the best oldies “stations” are CD compilations like this one.
06 December 2007
Old Skool Doctors Get Together!
Multiple-Doctor stories are almost always a letdown (IMHO, "The Two Doctors" starring Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton is an exception, and is probably C. Baker's best story). However, there's something very special nevertheless about seeing the first Three Doctors "together". First Doctor William Hartnell was quite ill at the time of filming, so he plays a limited role in this story. However, it's pure joy to see Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, two old-school scenery-chewers, fussing with each other as Doctors Two and Three.
The plotline isn't much to speak of, and it would have been nice to see some previous companions ("The Five Doctors" was notable for including more familiar faces), but this story arc is entertaining nonetheless, because the actors are so charming and watchable.
This video shouldn't be used as an alternative to finding yourself some Hartnell and Troughton stories -- the first two Doctors are not served particularly well here. However, as a "special event", this is worth watching.
07 July 2006
Jon Pertwee -- Always Fun to Watch!
Jon Pertwee is an underappreciated incarnation of Doctor Who. His three-year tenure in the role is the transition point between the “educational” kids-TV beginnings of the series (the black-and-white seasons starring William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton) and the more mature science fiction storylines featuring Tom Baker (the best-known Doctor to U.S. audiences). Jon Pertwee’s episodes are always a rollicking, enjoyable experience. His version of the Doctor is a James Bond-esque swashbuckling action hero, who spends most of his episodes immersed in British culture during the last years of the Swinging Sixties (1970-1973). This episode is a great example of Jon Pertwee’s scenery-chewing enthusiasm and sheer joy in playing the role of the Doctor. It’s a great Saturday-evening entertainment… pop some popcorn, grab a bottle of Triple Cola, and take a fun trip *BACK* to the future with the Third Doctor!